James Pianta
About James Pianta
James Pianta is the HES and SIMOPS Coordinator for Gorgon Operations at Chevron and a Manager at Murdoch University in Perth, Australia. He has extensive experience in safety management and training across various industries and countries.
Current Positions at Murdoch University and Chevron
James Pianta currently holds dual roles. At Murdoch University in Perth, Australia, he serves as a Manager where he oversees safety, emergency, and risk management initiatives. In parallel, he works with Chevron as the HES and SIMOPS Coordinator for Gorgon Operations, focusing on health, environment, and safety coordination in Western Australia.
Previous Roles in Safety and Environment
James Pianta has a robust history in safety and environment roles, starting as a Safety Specialist and Training Manager at Exxonmobil / RedAlert Australia from 1999 to 2005. He then served as Safety and Environment Systems Audit Manager at the Port of Melbourne Corporation from 2005 to 2007. This was followed by a role as Senior Integrated Management Specialist at the Roads and Transport Authority Dubai from 2007 to 2009. He later worked at Qatargas as Head of Safety Health and Environment Training from 2009 to 2011 and at Qatar Petroleum as Head of Safety Shutdown Section from 2011 to 2014.
Educational Background in Safety and Management
James Pianta's educational journey began with a Bachelor of Science in Psychology, Sociology, and Politics from the University of Adelaide (1996-1999). He holds a Graduate Diploma in Education from Monash University (1999-2000), a Graduate Diploma in Occupational Health, Safety and Environment from RMIT University (2001-2002), and a Master’s Degree in Occupational Health, Safety and Environment from Edith Cowan University (2008-2009).
Contributions at Murdoch University
At Murdoch University, James Pianta has made significant contributions, including the integration of Safety in Teaching and Research under the Research and Innovation Office. He developed a bespoke safety management system that achieved WorkSafe Plan WA Silver accreditation. He was instrumental in re-developing the emergency management process and crafted a five-year safety and wellbeing strategy aligning with the University Strategic Plan and Future Horizons 2017-2027.
Development of Safety Programs
James Pianta has been active in developing safety programs across various roles. He has worked with Senate and Audit and Risk Committees to create KPIs and dashboards. He completed a comprehensive risk and legal register by facilitating training and risk workshops and has been involved in efforts to align safety legislation harmonization and leadership and cultural change. Notably, he developed the Safety Leadership and Behaviour Based Safety program to be implemented University-wide in 2020.