The use of machinery in civil engineering construction and operation of infrastructure projects is inevitable. This paper describes an approach to civil engineering design as a one off exercise related to individual projects. The wider issues of responsibility for approvals and for health and safety are raised, as is the importance factor when a failure is related to the economy of a small country. Awareness of risk issues and importance factors in construction plant and machinery is emphasized by reference to the failure of a launching girder which is an essential component in the construction of a major bridge structure. Finally, the relevance of inspection and maintenance for facilities which are used by the general public is highlighted by reference to a recent failure of a car parking structure in the UK, and the liability for establishing and selecting criteria to satisfy whole life costing or planned maintenance is introduced as a corollary of this.