Directive for Workers
Directive for Workers
EMC directive
Assessment Directive 2013/35 / EU and 2013/35 / EC by means of field strength measurement on site
Introduction
The European Directive 2013/35/EU which lays down the minimum health and safety requirements regarding the exposure of workers to the risks arising from electric, magnetic and electromagnetic fields (EMF) came into force in June 2013. All European member states shall implement this Directive in their national law by July 2016. In order to support employers to understand what they will have to do in order to comply with the Directive, the European commission provided the non-binding Guide to good practice for implementing Directive 2013/35/EU electromagnetic fields, which consists of two volumes and a short guide for small and medium enterprises.
EMF-Ordinance
The new EMF-Ordinance covers all known direct and indirect effects resulting from the exposure to static electric, static magnetic and time-varying electric, magnetic and electromagnetic fields with frequencies up to 300 GHz.
- Electrophysiological effects –stimulation of muscles, nerves or sensory organs,
- Thermal effects (tissue heating due to energy absorption from electromagnetic fields in the tissue or due to induced currents);
- Interference with medical electronic equipment and devices, including cardiac pacemakers and other active and passive implants or medical devices worn on the body,
- The projectile risk from ferromagnetic objects in static magnetic fields,
- Contact currents caused by touching grounded objects.
The EMF-Ordinance will be similar in structure to current occupational safety and health ordinances on noise, vibrations and artificial optical radiation. However, because of a slightly higher level of detail of the Directive 2013/35/EU, the operative part and the annexes to the EMF-Ordinance will be more detailed and more specific, too. In addition to the general provisions on the scope of application, definitions and rules on instruction and exceptions, the EMF-Ordinance will also contain the principles for carrying out risk assessment and concrete actions.
Just as in occupational safety and health ordinances on noise, vibrations and artificial optical radiation, the state-of-the-art for measurements, calculations, assessment procedures, as well as the definition and implementation of protective measures will play an equally important role. For assessment of non-sinusoidal or pulsed electromagnetic fields in the low-frequency range, aside of the Weighted Peak Method recommended by the Directive 2013/35/EU, also a time-domain method will be possible to apply.
RMS electric field strengths and magnetic flux density credentials for the general public in accordance with the ICNIRP
| Frequency range | E-field strength E (kV m-1) | Magnetic field strength H (A m -1) | Magnetic flux density B (T) |
| 1 Hz – 8 Hz | 20 | 1.63 x 105/f2 | 0.2/f2 |
| 8 Hz – 25 Hz | 20 | 2 x 104/f | 2.5 x 10-2/f |
| 25 Hz – 300 Hz | 5 x 102/f | 8 x 102 | 1 x 10-3 |
| 300 Hz – 3 kHz | 5 x 102/f | 2.4 x 105/f | 0.3/f |
| 3 kHz – 10 MHz | 1.7 x 10-1 | 80 | 1 x 10-4 |
| Notes: -f in Hz. | |||
RMS electric field strengths and magnetic flux density credentials for the general public in accordance with the ICNIRP
| Frequency range | E-field strength E (kV m-1) | Magnetic field strength H (A m -1) | Magnetic flux density B (T) |
| 1 Hz – 8 Hz | 5 | 3.2 x 104/f2 | 4 x 10-2/f2 |
| 8 Hz – 25 Hz | 5 | 4 x 103/f | 5 x 10-3/f |
| 25 Hz – 50 Hz | 5 | 1.6 x 102 | 2 x 10-4 |
| 50 Hz – 400 Hz | 2.5 x 102/f | 1.6 x 102 | 2 x 10-4 |
| 400 Hz – 3 kHz | 2.5 x 102/f | 6.4 x 104 f | 8 x 10-2/f |
| 3 kHz – 10 MHz | 8.3 x 10-2 | 21 | 2.7 x 10-5 |
| Notes: -f in Hz. | |||
Exposure Limit Value (ELV) Concept
Measurement on location
Holland Shielding Systems can perform a measurement on location of the full electromagnetic spectrum. After measurement Holland Shielding Systems will give an advisory. In case of any doubt on the exposure of the personnel, we advise to perform a measurement. We can give you a shielding solution in case the exposure levels are too high.
Bron: Implementation of the EMF Directive 2013/35/EU, Dr. Ljiljana Udovicic
