Standards Australia E-News

CEO Report: On-site Battery Systems

Recently Standards Australia has been in the media regarding the work of our technical committee on a draft standard for on-site battery systems, DR AS/NZS 5139:201X, Electrical installations – safety of battery systems for use with power conversion equipment.

This comprehensive document is the result of many hours of work from experts representing industry, government and community interests.

The work is being driven by a range of stakeholders from all parts of industry who have an interest in standards in Australia that support the safe uptake of battery storage systems in all buildings, but particularly in homes.

As an installation standard, this document has a number of draft rules for public review relating to the “what, where and how” of battery systems.

All of our standards work is important, with this work no exception.

As with any new technology, standards give consumers and industry confidence in innovative solutions. They should give markets and governments confidence when making regulatory and investment decisions and get the balance right between all the different interests and voices in the room.

We are now at the public comment stage of development and we are seeking the views of all stakeholders over the next 8 weeks. We look forward to receiving these public comments which will all be reviewed by the technical committee. At the conclusion of this process we will have an installation standard for battery storage systems which supports the uptake of systems in Australia, a key focus of Professor Finkel’s Independent Review into the Future Security of the National Electricity Market, released in early June.

Our standards development process is based on the principles of transparency and consensus, and this standard is no different.

If you have a view on battery storage systems in Australia, I encourage you to have your say via our public comment portal.

—Dr Bronwyn Evans, CEO

ISO COPOLCO 39th Plenary Meeting focuses on Road Safety



	Australian delegates Elaine Attwood, John Furbank, Bill Dee, Teresa Corbin, Damian Fisher

Last month the Department of Standards Malaysia hosted the 39th Plenary Meeting of the ISO Committee on Consumer Policy (COPOLCO). Set in Kuala Lumpur, the theme for this year was road safety. The meeting was opened by Malaysia’s Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation YB Datuk Seri Panglima Wilfred Madius Tangau.

Representatives of Standards Australia’s ISO COPOLCO Mirror Committee (CMC) attended alongside the more than 110 consumer stakeholders from about 80 ISO member countries. The Australian delegation was led by Mr John Furbank, who was also appointed as co-convenor of the Key Areas Working Group.

The meeting included a workshop on road safety and its impact on consumers. Mr Bill Dee, Convenor of the Working Group on Consumer Protection in the Global Marketplace provided an update on key developments including work on consumer vulnerability, the Sharing Economy to address consumer detriment in the digital space and a new work item proposal on ‘Privacy by Design’. Ms Teresa Corbin from ACCAN outlined some potential new work on digital legacies.

Standards Australia to Roll out Skype for Business for Committee Work

Audio and web conferencing allow everyone to contribute to standards development, no matter where you are. As part of our digital transformation program and accommodation upgrade Standards Australia will be transitioning from the current WebEx solution to Skype for Business.

This secure, reliable platform supports multiple operating systems, internet browsers and devices. Skype for Business will deliver a more efficient experience for collaboration across the organisation and our technical committees.

Further communication will be sent via email shortly to those directly impacted.

Survey: Video Conferencing for Committee Members

As reported in our May edition, we’re creating a new dedicated meeting centre in our Bridge Street office. Our plan is to be ready by mid-September 2017.

We want your inputs so that when we set up our committee meeting rooms with audio-visual (AV) and IT equipment for video conferencing and virtual meeting capabilities we understand how they will be used.

To participate, open our video conferencing survey.

Survey closes 3 July 2017. See our Privacy Policy.

In Conversation with Young Leader Alumnae

This month we spoke with two former Young Leaders, Alexandra Price (2015–16) and Rachel Nicoll (2016–17) on their experiences in standards development and where the program has taken them.

Alexandra Price

Alexandra Price is currently Acting Senior Future Technologies Development Engineer within the Engineering Standards and Grid Modernisation Department at Energex. Her previous role at Energex was as a Testing & High Voltage (HV) Calibration Engineer within the Tools and Equipment Operations Department. Before joining Energex, Alexandra worked at the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) in the Market Modelling Department and was awarded an E.S. Cornwall Scholarship to work at UK Power Network as a Low Carbon London Solution Design and Trial Implementation Engineer. Alexandra is an active member of the Electric Energy Society of Australia and CIGRE Australia. After her participation in the SA Young Leaders Program she was also an IEC Young Professional.

Standards Australia: In what capacity do you interact with Standards Australia?
Alexandra Price: I am a member of the ME-005-10 Elevating Work Platforms subcommittee and am hoping to get involved in future projects with the EL-052-01 High-Voltage Live Working, EL-007-00-04 Short-circuit Currents and EL-007-01 High Voltage Testing subcommittees.

SA: Tell us about your experience at the IEC General Meeting last year.
AP: Attending the IEC General Meeting in Frankfurt last year was an incredible opportunity to learn from, and network with, experts from around the world. I learned a lot about conformity assessment, something I knew nothing about prior to attending. I also learned that International Standards are, by their nature, the lowest common denominator. So, despite arguably increasing the complexity of manufacturing and procurement, there are definitely good reasons to have national standards sometimes. A lot of people also spoke of the importance of coffee breaks in the standards development process as the less formal discussions in smaller groups tends to get to the root of any differences.

I also had the privilege of attending the IEC TC 78 Live Working committee meeting after the Young Professionals Program where I realised the immense amount of responsibility an IEC representative has. When the chair remarked “Australia has a suggestion” it dawned on me that I was representing the entire country and I recognised the importance of prior consultation and preparation. I also met a man who had over 40 years of technical experience in insulated rubber gloves – where else could you meet such knowledgeable individuals?!

SA: What skills have you gained from the SA Young Leaders and IEC Young Professionals programs?
AP: I have gained an appreciation of the standards development process, conformity assessment and how standards committees operate. I’ve also gained valuable verbal and written communication skills which have proven useful at work. However, probably the most valuable skill I’ve gained is technical engineering proficiency through understanding the ‘why’ behind clauses in the standards from working with technical experts. Every committee meeting I’ve attended I have learned something new.

SA: What has your involvement been so far in developing standards?
AP: So far I’ve only had the privilege of being involved in drafting an amendment for AS 1418.10, Cranes, hoists and winches - Mobile elevating work platforms. However, I’m currently working on the CIGRE B2.64 Inspection and Testing of Equipment and Training for Live Line Work on Overhead Lines working group which will prove invaluable when the AS 5804, High-voltage live working standards are reviewed. A lot of people I talk to say that standards are boring; but they haven’t experienced the other side. The standards themselves may seem boring (they are mostly black & white!) but the process behind getting to final published document is definitely exciting!

Rachel Nicoll

Rachel Nicoll is the Business Administration & Finance Manager at Howard & Sons Pyrotechnics. Her key responsibilities include explosives licensing, quality control, Work Health & Safety, environment and authorising pyrotechnic articles with local, state and international authorities. In 2015 Rachel was appointed to sit on the Australian Chamber Explosives Reference Group - Strategic Issues Group on Explosives (SIG-Explosives) in reform of explosives legislation to provide nationally consistent explosives laws. Passionate about community affairs and projects, Rachel became the youngest and first female Chair of the NSW Farmers Hartley Branch and sits on a number of board and advisory positions.

Standards Australia: In what capacity do you interact with Standards Australia?
Rachel Nicoll: Howard & Sons has worked closely with Standards Australia in the reform of the standard for explosives managed by CE-005. Selection to the 2016-2017 Young Leaders Program exposed me further to the critical role of standards particularly to the safety and security of our communities.

SA: How did you first get involved in standards development?
RN: My journey with Standards Australia started in 2011, two years into my role and still fresh to the Pyrotechnic scene. I received a call from my director, Christian – he was due to meet with Standards Australia to discuss a new technical activity to ISO/TS/P 220, Fireworks, proposed by China and could I go instead? Awoken to the world and potential of standards I was inspired to apply for the Young Leaders Program and all of its possibilities.

SA: What trends and innovation are affecting standards in your sector?
RN: Australia will see a continued emphasis on international harmonisation, with global supply chains integral to the industry. Standardisation in the field of fireworks provides confidence in the products and services available for import and export and security that Australia can innovate and compete in a world market.

Emerging technologies allow us to add value and ways to interact with fireworks display and design. For example, having a platform that can provide information, concepts or even sensation to blind people via apps. Or the use of drones and remote real-time data within our displays, which adds further elements of design and set of challenges.

SA: Tell us about your experience with the Young Leaders Program.
RN: The Standards Australia Young Leaders Program provided me with an appreciation of the standards development process across all facets of the organisation. We were not only able to share our expertise but develop new professional knowledge and skills with the opportunity to see ideas exchanged and thrive in an open and honest environment. It has been an incredibly rewarding experience and I am most grateful to my mentors during the program.

SA: What advice would you have for other emerging leaders interested in standards?
RN: Start now. If I can offer an encouragement it’s do not waste time waiting for the perfect set of conditions. Within Standards Australia each individual brings their expertise and your contribution to a collective outcome. You can create change and realise your personal and professional goals with leaders who will encourage and enrich the experience.

Changes to Travel Subsidies for Australian Delegates Attending ISO and IEC Meetings

Every year around 500 delegates represent Australian mirror committees at ISO and IEC international technical committee and working group meetings. Of these delegates approximately two-thirds are provided a subsidy to assist with their costs in attending the meeting. The subsidies are provided by the Department of Industry, Innovation and Science as part of the Support for Industry Services Organisation (SISO) Programme and are administered by Standards Australia.

For Australia to actively participate and therefore influence the direction and content of standards in a given area, attendance at meetings is vitally important. Standards Australia is encouraged by the increase in participation by delegates at meetings over the years.

A set amount of funding is allocated to delegates based on location of the meeting, the number of days attending and the numbers of Australian delegates attending. The last review of the subsidies was undertaken in 2014. In recent years, international travel has seen changes in average airfares and related costs to various regions and a review was seen as timely to ensure these changes were taken into account. As a result some modifications have been made to the subsidy levels and will come into effect for travel occurring after 1 July 2017. The new amounts are set out in the Guide to nomination and funding application process for international meetings (PDF).

Have You Ever Wondered How to Tell If Air Is Clean?

Standards Australia recently completed revisions of two standards addressing air quality:

	•	AS 3580.9.9:2017, Methods for sampling and analysis of ambient air, Method 9.9: Determination of suspended particulate matter—PM₁₀ low volume sampler—Gravimetric method, and
	•	AS 3580.9.10:2017, Methods for sampling and analysis of ambient air, Method 9.10: Determination of suspended particulate matter—PM_2.5 low volume sampler—Gravimetric method.

AS 3580.9.9 and AS 3580.9.10 set out methods for detecting pollutants PM₁₀ and PM_2.5 in order to assess air quality. These Australian documents were revised to make them consistent with other contemporary particulate matter standards.

Learn more in our media release (PDF).

ISO Annual Report 2016: Navigating a World in Transition

In 2016 the world faced challenges brought up by globalisation, climate change and the unprecedented speed of technological breakthroughs. Here are the highlights of what ISO put in place to help the world get back control of the helm and seize the potential for positive transformation: ISO Annual Report 2016 (PDF).

June 2017 Edition