About the Jersey Safety Council

The Council consists of a Chairman, appointed by the States of Jersey on the recommendation of the Minister for Social Security, four members and one co-opted member, all of whom are selected from the working community and recognised as individuals with an interest in health and safety at work.

The Council is assisted by a part-time secretary as the only paid employee of the Council, with the Chairman and members serving in an honorary capacity.

Since its inception, the Council has been involved in holding seminars, training courses and more recently carrying out promotional activities and awareness raising through various means.

The achievements of the Council over this period have been recognised and formally recorded, initially by the Social Security Committee and subsequently by the Minister, with thousands of individuals having benefited from the work carried out.

In order to carry out this work, the Council is financed with an annual grant by the States of Jersey which is provided by the Minister for Social Security. This grant is based on a carefully controlled budget.

We continue to look at ways of raising awareness of health and safety within the working community through a variety of options. 

All members of the Committee are listed below.

Steve Taylor - Chairman

I worked for 32 years in the oil industry, becoming a senior leader responsible for developing and managing oilfields around the world.

Safety is the single most important aspect of hydrocarbon production hence I am experienced in safety intervention techniques, safety audits & incident investigation. I believe that having a strong safety culture driven by visible safety leadership can dramatically reduce harm to others.

I enjoy engaging across an organisation, from technician to senior management, with the objective of promoting safety thinking and increasing the individual’s knowledge about their accountability and responsibilities in health and safety. 

Adrian De Gruchy - Member

I originally worked within the Agricultural Industry and since 2003 within the Construction sector. Working initially for an equipment hire company, I have had experience on an extensive range of projects.

For the past 10 years I have headed up a local safety training company and have coordinated tailored solutions to many local businesses. I am great believer in providing quality training to candidates so they are empowered, more efficient and safer to do their work and not just tick a box.

I believe I can assist the Jersey Safety Council to continue their on-going promotion of good health and safety practice within the island.

Ross Muir – Member

My career started whilst working in the oil & gas industry where I subcontracted to a major company and spent time in America, Australia, the Far East and Europe providing guidance and training in Health and Safety. In recent years I worked as a consultant in industries including renewables, construction, manufacturing, food processing, leisure and waste.  

I progressed through my career completing my NEBOSH certificates and laterally gained a degree in Health & Safety Management. A particular area of focus in my role as Head of Health, Safety & Environment at Jersey Electricity is sustainability and how we achieve net zero. This is something I hope to focus on more in the coming years.

Being relatively new to Jersey, I'm delighted to be part of the JSC and I look forward to positively contributing to the huge strides already taken in improving the health and safety of the people working across industry on the island. 

John Gavey – Member

My career started in retail operations with opportunities to diversify my skill set over the sixteen years in the sector. I led the pan-island teams for Learning, Development and Technical Safety as part of this journey. Utilisation of a blended approach to the support and advice provided by my teams enabled them to focus on fine-tuning softer skills to develop technical knowledge and assist in embedding positive cultural change.

Most recently I have moved to the public sector, currently fulfilling the role of Health and Safety Manager for Health and Community Services (Government of Jersey).

Effective health and safety management for an organisation can be daunting. I believe that it is through people that an organisation can positively influence its safety culture and that this is achieved through authentic leadership. As part of the Jersey Safety Council I look forward to contributing to the drive for continuous improvement in occupation health and safety standards.

Tom Stead - Member

Eddie Palmer MBE – Associate Member

I enjoyed a 30-year career in the British Army Corps of Royal Engineers, training, managing, leading and delivering military construction projects around the world. Following my army career, I worked predominantly in technical, safety and quality management roles in manufacturing and construction in the UK.

I support a positive H&S culture and believe health, safety and quality is everyone’s responsibility given they are intrinsically linked. Behavioural safety is something I promote as it is a fundamental part of military training for obvious reasons; and also, a key part in safety and quality management to instil and promote good, safe work practice, and 'doing the right thing, right first time', both of which are key mantras I prescribe to.

I have maintained links to the armed forces community as a member of the Royal British Legion, and love to explore Jersey’s beautiful coastline. I welcome the opportunity to be an integral part of the Jersey Safety Council's drive for continuous improvement and a safer workplace for all, ultimately helping to ensure the promotion of occupational health and safety in Jersey.