EMR / EME & EMF- Human Exposure and Explosive Hazards

In Australia, the National Health and Medical Research Council (NH&MRC) has set guidelines on acceptable exposure in the workplace and in the home to enable the general public to assess the extent of their exposure and the safety of their workplace.

The electric and magnetic fields produced by the use of electrical powered equipment and appliances in close proximity to overhead or underground power lines can be calculated or measured and compared to the NH&MRC limits. EMC Services is currently Australia’s only NATA accredited facility in EMF measurements and provides services including compliance certificates or NATA accredited reports as appropriate. Where desired, interpretation of the results in terms of present scientific knowledge is also available. EMC Services is a leader in the assessment of exposure to power-lines and fields emanating from electrical appliances, equipment and installations.

Both high voltage lines and low voltage distribution lines produce EMF. In most cases, high voltage lines are constructed on easements where building is not permitted. The extent of the magnetic EMF associated with powerlines depends on the amount of current flowing along the line and the distance from the line. EMF fields rapidly decrease in strength with distance, therefore inside a house, the magnetic fields from nearby powerlines is usually similar to that produced by the wiring and appliances in the house. A new draft EMF standard by the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency (ARPANSA) was released in December 2006 for public comment.

Exposure to the RF radiation of many of these equipments may be injurious to health, consequently their operation must conform to Occupational Health and Safety requirements.

The applicable safety regulations in Australia are predominantly State based and are in various stages of development, however all require employers to carry out a Risk Assessment in relation to the associated work practices and to apply appropriate Standards. For RF radiation from ISM equipment, the limits and requirements of ARPANSA standard RPS3:2002 apply.

EMC Services provide a complete service to employers including performance of a risk assessment, recommendations on the required procedures and their implementation if desired.

All potentially hazardous installations should be certified annually by an accredited (NATA) test authority. EMC Services is NATA accredited and able to issue the appropriate reports and certificates.

All communications and radar transmitters are subject to the limits of ARPANSA standard RPS 3:2000 under the requirements of the Radiocommunications Act as amended in March 2003. This legislation requires the aggregate emissions by the transmitters of each licencee to comply with the limits at any one site. Where the site is occupied by more than one licencee, the aggregate emissions of all transmitters must additionally comply with the applicable OH&S requirements for that area and state and to the site owner/manager.

Separate requirements and standards exist for the prevention of explosive hazards. Although these requirements appear to be less stringent, the circumstances under which these fields (and associated voltages and currents) can occur are more varied and demanding, requiring detailed analysis and ultimately confirmation by a range of different measurement processes. EMC Services is fully equipped for, and extensively experienced in the performance of this work.