Presenters Name: Carmello Cem Novella
Employment Title: Managing Director
Company: Static Electricity Control
Biography: Cem Novella is the managing director of Novella Group. Novella Group is a consultancy company comprised of Static Electricity Control, Auditcem, Meech Australia Static Control & Newson Gale Australia.
Cem is the current Chair of the Australian standard committee AS/NZS 1020:2023: The control of static electricity – EL-025.
Cem is the current chair for the Centre for Static Electricity & Lightning Protection (CSELP) and provides technical support, training and guidance to various industry groups, insurance industry investigators and assessors, emergency services, regulators and other standards committees in relation to static electricity control and lightning protection in hazardous areas.
Cem is a qualified Auditor and Investigator.
Cem has worked on a diverse range of static electricity control and lightning protection programs for applications across the globe. Most recently he has been heavily involved in the drafting and adoption of AS/NZS1020:2023 and SA TS 60079-32-1:2022.
In Australia Cem continues to raise awareness of static electricity and lightning in hazardous areas amongst the broader industrial and manufacturing sectors in the hope that in the not too distant future, every site in Australia will be required to adopt an appropriate static electricity and lightning control plan.
Presentation Title: Static Electricity in the Dangerous Goods/ Hazardous Area Environment.
Presentation Abstract: In many branches of industry, hazardous atmospheres exist due to the presence of flammable liquid, gases, combustible dusts and fibres. No matter how the explosive atmosphere is classified, all potential ignition sources must be eliminated, with static electricity perhaps being the most insidious of them all.
Static electricity is the prime culprit for at least two serious fires or explosions in industry worldwide every day of the year. In the U.S. alone, static electricity causes on average 280 industrial incidents each year reported to fire and emergency departments, resulting in injuries and fatalities, hundreds of millions of dollars in property damage, lost production or plant downtime and environmental release issues.
The recent increase in reported incidents, fires and explosions within the solvent and coatings industry specific to static electricity has raised concerns amongst manufacturers, regulators, emergency services & first responders and the insurance industry.
In light of this, how can we better design and protect Dangerous Goods and Hazardous Area facilities. How can we better minimise the risks associated with static electricity specific to the storage and manufacture of solvents and coatings.
How will AS/NZS 1020, AS 1768 and newly adopted IEC TS 60079-32-1 standards affect the Australian and New Zealand Dangerous Goods and Hazardous Area landscape? How do they apply to the Solvent and Coating Industry.
What do you need to know?
