Jenny Kisler

After completing a PhD in chemical engineering, Jenny worked for a law firm communicating between lawyers and scientists mainly in the area of pharmaceutical patent prosecution and defence. Her next role was as a risk and safety consultant where she conducted various safety studies, such as risk assessments, HAZOPs, QRAs and fire safety studies, for different clients in industries including mining, petroleum, and chemical manufacturing both in Australia and overseas.

Jenny then became a process safety analyst at WorkSafe Victoria where she assessed Major Hazard Facility (MHF) licence applications, prepared guidance material (including for the implementation of the Australian national MHF regulations), was on the national MHF regulator working group and was an expert witness for land use planning matters in relation to land use near MHFs. While at WorkSafe, she was part of the initial group registered as a Professional Process Safety Engineer and has been involved in assessment of applications and interviewing applicants ever since.

After leaving WorkSafe, she returned to consulting and assessed approximately 15 MHF licence applications for Comcare (the Australian national regulator) among other risk assessment work in various industries including water, education, and infrastructure. However, the frequent travel proved incompatible with home life, so she is now in a process safety team leader at the Viva Energy Australia Pty Ltd refinery at Geelong, where she manages the MHF licence and Safety Case as well as ongoing risk and process safety work.