Professional Development

Topic: Lessons for Australia from USA Chemical Safety Board Investigations

The USA Chemical Safety Board (CSB), investigations reveal important lessons for a wide variety of workplaces.  CSB reports and videos demonstrate the value created by a permanent and independent investigation agency.  Bill will explore the successes and challenges faced by the CSB during 12 years of operation.  He will present case studies that focus on combustible explosions including a tragic sugar refinery incident that caused 14 fatalities.  In addition there will be discussion of emerging safety issues including management of organizational change, employee fatigue prevention and new ways to measure safety performance.

Bill Hoyle is the retired CSB Manager who directed the investigations of more than 30 major incidents including the probe of the 2005 tragedy at the BP Texas City Oil Refinery.  He was the primary designer of the CSB’s investigation and recommendations programs as well as the agency’s understanding of safety culture and high reliability organizations.

Hosted by Risk Engineering Society & College of Chemical Engineering

Supported by IChemE & the Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering Foundation, Sydney  

Please note there is a $10 charge for non-members to attend the presentations 

Presentations:

• Perth - Monday 15th March
  Time: 5.30pm for 6pm Start
  Venue: Level 9 Conference Centre, The New Esplanade Hotel, 18 The Esplanade, Perth
  REGISTER ONLINE
  Download flyer: Eminent Speaker Bill Hoyle(PDF 659KB)
  
  
• Brisbane - Wednesday 17th March
  Time: 5.30pm for 6pm Start
  Venue: Paterson Room, Novotel Brisbane, 200 Creek St, Brisbane City
  THIS EVENT IS NOW FULL
  
  
• Sydney - Thursday 18th March
  Time: 5.30pm for 6pm Start
  Venue: TBA
  REGISTER ONLINE
  Download flyer: Eminent Speaker Bill Hoyle (PDF 156KB)

Topic: Future Challenges and Responsibilities in Traffic Operations and Safety

Hosted by the National Committee on Transport Engineering

The transport system will be subjected to considerable change over the coming decade. There will be a much greater reliance on the operation of the system and providing users with an appropriate quality of service. There will be fewer opportunities to widen roads or to build new freeways to increase capacity for free flowing conditions. A recent trend is to concentrate on reliability of service rather than lower travel times through higher road capacities.

As a result of the adaption of the road system, there has been increased road reconstruction adjacent to traffic. Engineers are responsible for the provision of both a safe environment for road users and construction personnel. These are vital concerns to the community and road authorities that need greater and immediate attention.
Rod will present recent research on system reliability and safety at work sites.

Rod Troutbeck was the Head of Civil Engineering at Queensland University of Technology from 1994 to 2004. After which he established a consultancy, Troutbeck & Associates and has remained connected to QUT through the Centre for Accident Research and Road Safety- Queensland (CARRS-Q).

Prior to joining QUT, Rod was a Principal Research Scientist at the Australian Road Research Board. In his 15 years at ARRB, he established the effectiveness of safety barriers and warrants for their use, the effect of longer vehicles in the traffic stream on drivers' overtaking behaviour, the performance of roundabouts and innovative video data collection techniques. This research still has national and international recognition to this day. The current Austroads guides still incorporate his research at the Australian Road Research Board.

At QUT, Rod researched the performance of freeways and arterial roads, crash testing of safety barriers, the effect of drivers' vision on driving performance, the results of oversaturation on traffic movements and the impact of heavy vehicles in urban traffic streams. Rod guided a number of students through their post-graduate degrees.

Rod has been a researcher in US National Cooperative Highway Research Program and US Federal Highway Administration projects. Rod has been a member of several Transportation Research Board committees including the Highway Capacity and Quality of Service and Roadside Design Committees. He has also chaired the Standard Australia's committee on road safety barrier systems and risk management in motor sport.

Presentations:

• Wednesday 24th February - Brisbane
  Time: 5.30pm for 6pm Start
  Location: Engineers Australia Qld Division, 447 Upper Edward St, Brisbane City
  THIS EVENT IS NOW FULL
  
  
• Wednesday 24th March - Melbourne
  Time: 4.00pm for 4.30pm Start
  Location: Theatrette, Department of Transport - Level 5, 121 Exhibition St, Melbourne City
  REGISTER ONLINE
  Download flyer: Eminent Speaker Rod Troutbeck(PDF 181KB)
  
  
• Thursday 15th April - Canberra
  Details TBA
  
  
• Wednesday 26th May - Darwin
  Details TBA
  
  
• Wednesday 16th June - Newcastle
  Details TBA

Topic: Survival of the Fittest: 90 Years of Dutch Aeronautics - RDT&E in a Globalising Environment

Fred Abbink is the General Director of the National Aerospace Laboratory of The Netherlands (NLR). He graduated in Electrical Control Engineering from the Technical University Delft in 1968 afterwhich he served in the Royal Netherlands Navy as a project engineer on a number of avionics projects. He became head of NLR's flight testing & helicopters department in 1981 responsible for helicopter, avionics & military operations research and accident investigation. He became the Technical Director in 1988 and General Director in 2005 with a brief absence due to an appointment at the German Aerospace Centre.

Mr Abbink has served as part-time & visiting professor at many prestigious Universities across the world. He was the President of the International Council for the Aeronautical Sciences (ICAS) between 2006 & 2008 and currently continues a number of Officer Bearer roles on other National & International Aerospace bodies. Mr Abbink is an Officer in the Order of Oranje Nassau, Fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA), Member of the French Académie Nationale de l'Air et de l'Espace (ANAE), Member of the Netherlands Academy of Technology and Innovation, and Honorary Member of the TU-Delft Aerospace Students Association Leonardo Da Vinci.

Hosted by the Engineers Australia College of Electrical Engineering & Royal Aerospace Society Australian Division

Presentations:

Note: There is a $10 attendance charge for Non-Members. Members of Engineers Australia & the RAeS can attend for free. RSVP & any payment due is to be made via the online registration links

• Sydney - Tuesday 30th March 2010
  6pm for 6.30pm Start
  Auditorium, Engineers Australia Sydney Division, 8 Thomas Street, Chatswood
  REGISTER ONLINE
  
  
• Canberra - Wednesday 31st March 2010
  5.30pm for 6pm Start
  Auditorium, Engineers Australia Canberra Division, 11 National Circuit, Barton
  REGISTER ONLINE
  
  
• Newcastle - Wednesday 7th April 2010
  5.30pm for 6pm Start
  Auditorium, Engineers Australia Newcastle Division, 122 Parry St, West Newcastle
  REGISTER ONLINE
  
  
• Melbourne - Thursday 8th April 2010
  6pm for 6.30pm start
  Auditorium, Engineers Australia Victoria Division, 21 Bedford Street, North Melbourne
  REGISTER ONLINE
  
  
• Brisbane - Wednesday 14th April 2010
  5.30pm for 6pm Start
  Auditorium, Engineers Australia Qld Division, 447 Upper Edward St, Brisbane
  REGISTER ONLINE
  Please note this presentation will be live-streamed. Access details for those wishing to view the presentation will be provided shortly.
  
  
• Townsville - Thursday 15th April 2010
  5.30pm for 6pm Start
  Venue & RSVP details TBA
  
  
• Adelaide - Tuesday 27th April 2010
  5.30pm for 6pm Start
  Sir Robert Chapman Theatre, Engineers Australia SA Division, Level 11, 108 King William St, Adelaide
  REGISTER ONLINE
  
  
• Perth - Monday 3rd May 2010
  5.30pm for 6pm Start
  Auditorium, Engineers Australia WA Division, 712 Murray St, West Perth
  REGISTER ONLINE