PROGRAM COMPONENTSNON-IONIZING RADIATION

Philip Campbell, CHP

UW Radiation Safety Officer

March 19, 2018

• ELF

• RF/MW

• UV

TOPICS

2

EXTREMELY LOW FREQUENCY

3

• Power lines and large electrical components

• Worker education and training

• De-energize source whenever possible

• Be aware of employees with medical implants

ELF

4

• Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)– https://www.osha.gov/SLTC/elfradiation/index.html

• World Health Organization (WHO)– http://www.who.int/peh-emf/publications/facts/fs322/en/

ELF SAFETY REFERENCES

5

RADIOFREQUENCY AND MICROWAVES

6

• Radiofrequency (RF) and Microwave (MW) fields

LIMITATIONS

7

RF/MW FIELDS EXPOSURE STANDARDS/GUIDELINES

8

MAXIMUM PERMISSIBLE EXPOSURE (MPE)

9

MPE BASED IN POWER DENSITY (S)

10

Occupational Worker General Public

Frequency Range Power Density (mW/cm2) Power Density (mW/cm2)

10 kHz – 3 or 1.34 MHz 100 100

3 or 1.34 MHz - 30 MHz 900/f2 180/f2

30 MHz - 300 MHz 1.0 0.2

300 MHz - 1500 MHz f/300 f/1500

1500 MHz - 100 GHz 5 1

MPE BASED IN POWER DENSITY (S)

11

PROPER SIGNAGE

12

• Apply to situations in which persons are exposed as a consequence of their employment– Have been made fully aware of their potential for exposure, and

– Can exercise control over their exposure

• Also apply to situations where exposure is of a transient nature as a result of incidental passage through a location where exposure levels may be above general population/uncontrolled limits as long as above conditions are still met.

OCCUPATIONAL/CONTROLLED EXPOSURE LIMITS

13

• Apply to situations in which – The general public may be exposed, or

– Persons who are exposed as a consequence of their employment may not be made fully aware of their potential for exposure or cannot exercise control over their exposure.

GENERAL POPULATION/UNCONTROLLED EXPOSURE LIMITS

14

• Awareness can be provided through– Specific training

– Warning signs and labels as long as they provide information

• On risk of potential exposure, and

• Instructions on methods to minimize exposure

“FULLY AWARE”

15

16

EXPOSURE LIMITS NOT EMISSION LIMITS

17

EXPOSURE LIMITS NOT EMISSION LIMITS

18

EXPOSURE LIMITS NOT EMISSION LIMITS

19

• Relevant to locations that are only accessible to workers or members of the public

20

21

22

• UW must protect it’s workers and the public

• Vendors (carriers) must protect their workers.

Licensees (antenna owners) are responsible for exposure from their antennas, but what about locations with multiple licensees?

RESPONSIBILITY

23

24

MULTIPLE ANTENNAS

25

MULTIPLE ANTENNAS

• If exposure limits are exceeded due to emissions from multiple antennas– Responsibility of all licensees whose antennas exceed 5% of the applicable exposure limit

• Owners of sites should encourage co-location of transmitters and common solutions for controlling access to areas where the RF exposure limits might be exceeded

26

• Review plans for installation of new antenna(s)– Do other antennas need to be de-energized?

• Have the carrier provide a NIER that addresses rooftop and ground level exposures– Does the antenna produce levels that exceed 5% of the applicable limit?

• Specify required signage with locations

• Post-installation inspection and survey

CONSTRUCTION REVIEWS

27

• All accessible areas that exceed exposure limits are posted properly.

• Physical barriers in accessible areas where time averaging cannot be used as a control measure.

• RF training for individuals who will exceed general population/uncontrolled exposure limits.

CONTROLS

28

NIER EXAMPLE

29

NIER EXAMPLE

30

• Federal Communications Commission– OET Bulletins 56 and 65

– https://www.fcc.gov/general/oet-bulletins-line

• 47 CFR 1.1310 Radiofrequency radiation exposure limits– https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CFR-2012-title47-vol1/pdf/CFR-2012-title47-vol1-sec1-

1310.pdf

RF SAFETY REFERENCES

36

ULTRAVIOLET

37

• 100 nm to 400 nm

• UVA – 320 to 400

• UVB – 280 to 320

• UVC – 100 to 280

• Biological systems most sensitive to 250-270 nm

UV LIGHT

38

UV LIGHT

• Radiant Exposure (dose) – joule per square meter– 8 hour threshold limit value (TVL) for 270 nm is 30 J/m2

39

• Shorter wavelengths can produce Ozone– OSHA permissible exposure

limit (PEL) of 0.1 ppm

UV LIGHT

40

• Distance – Increase distance between yourself and the source

• Time – Limit time spent near sources

• Shielding – Use appropriate shielding material for UV wavelengths in use

UV LIGHT

• Eyeglasses, goggles, face shields, portable shields– Ordinary glass blocks most UV wavelengths <300 nm

– Polycarbonate lenses absorb 100% of UV wavelengths

• Gloves, clothing

• Sunscreen creams and lotions – UVA and UVB only– Sun Protection Factor = fraction of incident UV that is

transmitted by a thickness of 2 mg/cm2

– SPF only applies to UVB

41

• OSHA– 29 CFR 1910.97 Nonionizing Radiation

• WISHA– WAC 296-62-09005 Nonionizing Radiation

• FDA– https://www.fda.gov/Radiation-

EmittingProducts/RadiationEmittingProductsandProcedures/default.htm

• National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)– https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/emf/

• National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences– https://www.niehs.nih.gov/health/topics/agents/emf/index.cfm

REFERENCES

42