Design trumps Risk Assessment - Our VCAT Hearing Success (as Expert Witnesses)

Design trumps Risk Assessment - Our VCAT Hearing Success (as Expert Witnesses)

Author: Richard Robinson & Gaye Francis April 14, 2024 Duration: 15:15
In this episode of Risk! Engineers Talk Governance, Richard Robinson and Gaye Francis discuss their recent success (as Expert Witnesses) at VCAT (Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal) and how design trumps risk assessment. They discuss their case involving an application for a building permit in the outer safety zone of a major hazard facility. WorkCover advised against building two new dwellings due to increased population and societal risk. However, Richard and Gaye, as expert...

Ever found yourself wondering why safety and risk management in engineering feels so tangled, expensive, and disconnected from actual results? That’s the exact territory explored in Risk! Engineers Talk Governance. Hosted by Richard Robinson and Gaye Francis, both seasoned due diligence and risk engineers who co-direct the consultancy R2A, this podcast cuts through the complexity that’s grown around the industry. They’ve watched, with a practical engineer’s eye, as fields like OHS and WHS have ballooned into a costly business in themselves, often leaving organisations out of pocket without seeing meaningful improvements. What sets their conversations apart is a foundation in real engineering practice-they come from the tools-and-dirt side of things, not just a policy manual. Each episode digs into governance frameworks, decision-making, and compliance, but always through the lens of applied engineering logic and on-the-ground experience. It’s for professionals in technology, business, and management who are tired of checkbox exercises and want to hear frank discussions about making risk management sensible, effective, and value-adding again. You’ll get their direct, no-nonsense perspectives on bridging the gap between boardroom obligations and operational reality, making this podcast a unique resource for anyone tasked with building safer, more resilient organisations without the pointless overhead.
Author: Language: en-au Episodes: 70

Risk! Engineers Talk Governance
Podcast Episodes
Safety Culture & Women's PPE [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 11:33
In this episode of Risk! Engineers Talk Governance, Richard Robinson and Gaye Francis discuss the importance of safety culture for women's personal protective equipment (PPE) in the workplace. Gaye shares her experience…
Safety in Design [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 15:21
In this episode of Risk! Engineers Talk Governance podcast, due diligence engineers Richard Robinson and Gaye Francis discuss a recent case they were involved in as expert witnesses at the VCAT Tribunal. The case involve…