Risk! Engineers Talk Governance
Richard Robinson & Gaye Francis
Due Diligence and Risk Engineers Richard Robinson and Gaye Francis discuss governance in an engineering context.
Richard & Gaye are co-directors at R2A and have seen the risk business industry become very complex. The OHS/WHS 'business', in particular, has turned into an industry, that appears to be costing an awful lot of organisations an awful lot of money for very little result.
Richard & Gaye's point of difference is that they come from the Common Law viewpoint of what would be expected to be done in the event that something happens. Which is very, very different from just applying the risk management standard (for example).
They combine common law and risk management to come to a due diligence process to make organisations look at what their risk issues are and, more importantly, what they have to have in place to manage these things.
Due diligence is a governance exercise. You can't always be right, but what the courts demand of you is that you're always diligent
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Top 10 Risk! Engineers Talk Governance Episodes
Goodpods has curated a list of the 10 best Risk! Engineers Talk Governance episodes, ranked by the number of listens and likes each episode have garnered from our listeners. If you are listening to Risk! Engineers Talk Governance for the first time, there's no better place to start than with one of these standout episodes. If you are a fan of the show, vote for your favorite Risk! Engineers Talk Governance episode by adding your comments to the episode page.
Introducing Risk! Engineers Talk Governance
Risk! Engineers Talk Governance
05/08/23 • 13 min
In this special introduction episode of Risk! Engineers Talk Governance, meet your hosts Gaye Francis and Richard Robinson who outline their due diligence engineering experience and why they are starting the podcast .
You can find out more about Richard & Gaye's due diligence and SFAIRP work at www.r2a.com.au.
Gaye is also founder & managing director of Apto PPE Women's & Maternity Hi Vis Workwear. For more head to www.aptoppe.com.au
ISO 31000 The Risk Management Standard - The consequences for WHS/OHS legislation
Risk! Engineers Talk Governance
09/03/23 • 13 min
In this final episode of Season 1 of Risk! Engineers Talk Governance, due diligence engineers Gaye Francis & Richard Robinson discuss one of the topics they are asked most: ISO 31000, the Risk Management Standard.
They outline the consequences of ISO 31000 that it does not meet the requirements of the WHS Legislation/OHS Act in Australia & New Zealand, that organisations cannot keep using target levels of risk and safety to make safety decisions -- you can use it as a reporting tool.
For more information on Richard & Gaye's due diligence consulting work, head to www.r2a.com.au.
Gaye is also founder of Apto PPE www.aptoppe.com.au that sells fit-for-purpose women’s and maternity safety workwear.
How Standards stifle innovation
Risk! Engineers Talk Governance
05/26/24 • 12 min
In this episode of Risk! Engineers Talk Governance, due diligence engineers Richard Robinson and Gaye Francis from R2A discuss how standards stifle innovation.
They highlight the frustration of engineers who are designing to standards rather than focusing on solving the actual problem at hand. They argue that standards are often lag indicators and may not keep up with the rapidly changing world and provide examples of how standards can lead to shortcuts being taken and hinder the adoption of new technologies.
If you’d like more information about Richard and Gaye, head to https://www.r2a.com.au
Insurance Criteria: Its history, relevance, and the Highly Protected Risk (HPR) engineering process
Risk! Engineers Talk Governance
04/06/25 • 15 min
In this episode of "Risk! Engineers Talk Governance," due diligence engineers Richard Robinson and Gaye Francis discuss Insurance Criteria and its history and modern relevance, particularly focusing on the Highly Protected Risk (HPR) engineering process.
Richard shares his experience training with Factory Mutual in the US and explains how the HPR approach originated in the 1840s with Zacharia Allen, a cotton mill owner who re-engineered his facility to minimise fire risks. When his insurance company refused to offer discounts for these improvements, Allen created a mutual pool with other safety-conscious factory owners, establishing an engineering-based approach to insurance rather than a purely financial one.
The conversation explores key concepts like Normal Loss Expectancy versus Maximum Foreseeable Loss, highlights common design flaws in Australian Standards, and emphasises that engineers must think beyond merely following standards to truly understand what they're trying to protect. The episode concludes with takeaways about designing for specific needs rather than blindly applying Standards.
This conversation follows the R2A text Engineer Due Diligence (Concepts, Applications, Tools & Techniques) that can be purchased online at https://www.r2a.com.au/store/p/r2a-engineering-due-diligence-textbook.
For further information on Richard and Gaye’s consulting work with R2A, head to https://www.r2a.com.au.
Gaye is also founder of women’s safety workwear company Apto PPE if you’d like to check out the garments at https://www.aptoppe.com.au
Design trumps Risk Assessment - Our VCAT Hearing Success (as Expert Witnesses)
Risk! Engineers Talk Governance
04/14/24 • 15 min
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 witnesses, argued that proper safety and design measures, such as laminated windows and steel roofs, could mitigate the risks.
The VCAT decision supports R2A’s position, and emphasises the importance of, working out the credible worst-case scenarios and then designing for it.
You can listen further about this VCAT hearing in Season 2 episodes 1 & 2 of our podcast.
If you’d like to learn more about Richard & Gaye, visit www.r2a.com.au.
Please submit any feedback or topic ideas to [email protected].
R2A's Due Diligence Process - Why it works
Risk! Engineers Talk Governance
04/21/24 • 13 min
In this episode of Risk! Engineers Talk Governance, due diligence engineers Richard Robinson and Gaye Francis discuss R2A's preferred approach to due diligence.
They explain why they start with a top-down approach, usually starting with the military intelligence, threat and vulnerability technique. And how often organisations who have started with a bottom-up process have been floundering for some time, come to R2A to cut through the detail.
Richard and Gaye also discuss:
· importance of selecting the right tools and techniques for the job,
· need for multiple perspectives and approaches to ensure a comprehensive analysis,
· importance of bringing key stakeholders together and the challenges of working in silos,
· need for preparation and adaptability in the due diligence process.
Please note the matrix mentions is available in all R2A publications. You can find these at https://www.r2a.com.au/store
If you'd like to learn more about Richard & Gaye's due diligence work at R2A, head to www.r2a.com.au or get in contact at [email protected].
Control & Reasonableness in WHS/OHS Legislation
Risk! Engineers Talk Governance
04/28/24 • 9 min
In this episode of Risk! Engineers Talk Governance, Richard Robinson and Gaye Francis discuss control and reasonableness in WHS/PHS legislation.
They explain that the WHS/OHS legislation is a statutory statement of the common law duty of care and a defence against negligence, and that there’s two primary controls for negligence defence: no power defence (lack of control) and doing every reasonably practicable thing to address the matter. The aspect of control is built into the reasonableness decision in the legislation.
The episode also covers:
- the importance of not getting caught up in arguments about responsibility and instead taking collective responsibility for addressing hazards.
- Lord Atkin's question "Who is my neighbour?" and how the legal ruling relates to design process and retrospective design review.
- the benefits of the due diligence approach in bringing key stakeholders together to collectively address safety issues.
The Criminal Manslaughter booklet mentioned can be found at https://www.r2a.com.au/store/p/r2a-criminal-manslaughter-directors-booklet
For more information on Gaye and Richard’s due diligence work at R2A, head to https://www.r2a.com.au/
Art & Engineering - How being a great artist relates to the engineer's roles
Risk! Engineers Talk Governance
05/05/24 • 9 min
In this episode of the Risk! Engineers Talk Governance podcast, Richard Robinson and Gaye Francis discuss the relationship between art and engineering.
They draw parallels between the roles of artists and engineers, highlighting the importance of composition, execution, and management in both fields. They outline the different types of engineers, such as creators, managers/consultants, and specialists, and the need for all three types in successful engineering organisations. Richard emphasises the importance of recognising and focusing on one's strengths in order to have a satisfying and successful career.
Their conversation also touches on the challenges of small businesses, the role of innovation, and the limitations of relying solely on standards in engineering.
If you’d like to learn more about Richard and Gaye’s work, head to https://www.r2a.com.au.
Code of Practice & WHS/OHS Confusion
Risk! Engineers Talk Governance
05/12/24 • 9 min
In this episode of Risk! Engineers Talk Governance, Richard Robinson and Gaye Francis discuss Code of Practice and WHS/OHS confusion in relation to a presentation they delivered to the Dam Owners and Operators' Forum in Queensland recently, called "How do we do ALARP? Meeting a duty of care."
They explain how the Code of Practice doesn’t align with WHS/OHS legislation and if you conduct an “augmented ALARP” as suggested by the ANCOLD (Australian National Committee on Large Dams) Guideline it does not promote innovation or an efficient due diligence process. and that this exists in a number of industry guidelines.
They also discuss the Oroville & Edenville Dam breaks (USA), how risk is multidimensional, how many industry guidelines have the same issues, and considering reciprocity as part of diligent decision making.
Discover more about Richard and Gaye’s work at https://www.r2a.com.au.
Risk Management & Negligence - Due Diligence Essentials for Engineers
Risk! Engineers Talk Governance
03/16/25 • 15 min
In this first episode of Season 5 of Risk! Engineers Talk Governance, due diligence engineers Richard Robinson and Gaye Francis provide an overview of their new booklet "Risk Management and Negligence - Due Diligence Essentials for Engineers".
They discuss the importance of engineers to understand their responsibilities around risk management and due diligence, and the need to communicate this effectively to senior decision-makers.
The booklet covers:
- You can’t always be right but you can be diligent
- What it means to be an engineer today
- The risk management swamp
- Methods to drain the swamp
- Due diligence domains
They also discuss this season’s theme of difficult conversations engineers need to have and their plans for an in-person event to further discuss this topic.
For further information on Richard and Gaye’s consulting work with R2A, head to https://www.r2a.com.au.
To purchase the new booklet, head to https://www.r2a.com.au/store/p/due-diligence-essentials-engineers-booklet
All other books are available at https://www.r2a.com.au/store
Gaye is also founder of women’s safety workwear company Apto PPE if you’d like to check out the garments at https://www.aptoppe.com.au
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FAQ
How many episodes does Risk! Engineers Talk Governance have?
Risk! Engineers Talk Governance currently has 46 episodes available.
What topics does Risk! Engineers Talk Governance cover?
The podcast is about Management, Technical, Podcasts, Technology, Business and Engineering.
What is the most popular episode on Risk! Engineers Talk Governance?
The episode title 'Nuclear Power Safety - How The Finnish Get It Right Before They Proceed' is the most popular.
What is the average episode length on Risk! Engineers Talk Governance?
The average episode length on Risk! Engineers Talk Governance is 13 minutes.
How often are episodes of Risk! Engineers Talk Governance released?
Episodes of Risk! Engineers Talk Governance are typically released every 7 days.
When was the first episode of Risk! Engineers Talk Governance?
The first episode of Risk! Engineers Talk Governance was released on May 8, 2023.
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