IEEE 1654-2009 pdf download IEEE Guide for RF Protection of Personnel Working in the Vicinity of Wireless Communications Antennas Attached to Electric Power Line Structures
3,7 RF fields: RF electrical and magnetic fields emitted from antenna/transmitter arrays.
3.8 RF personal monitors (RFPM): Monitors designed to alert workers when the field approachesdesignated safe limits, Sy: personal RF monitor.
3.9 RF protective clothing: Clothing specifically designed to provide protection for the wearer fromexcessive exposures to RF fields.
4.Application
This guide presents a reference source for electric utilities on how to establish a safety program to meetOSHA and FCC RF exposure compliance requirements and protect electrical workers in the vicinity ofwireless communication antennas adjacent or attached to electric power line structures, The informationthat the guide provides is geared more specifically towards the electrical workers that perform maintenanceor construction work on electric power lines or structures with attached active wireless communicationsantennas. It would be of less interest to other utility workers, such as communications workers. The guidedeals with the RF protection aspect only to the extent of meeting the already established RF compliancerequirements. These OSHA and FCC requirements also encompass the health and safety issues, in additionto the RF exposure limits. Main contributions of this guide include that it describes for electric utilities theminimum requirements for establishing a RF safely program, and specific guidelines on the immunity ofRFPM to the power-frequency fields from transmission lines. as well as the use of conductive clothing forworker protection.
5. RF exposure-FCC and OSHA guidelines and requirements
The rules regarding human RF exposures enacted by the FCC establish regulatory requirements for FCClicensed radio services,including human exposure limits more stringent than those of OSHA, and morerigorous compliance requirements for transmitter facilities. The FCC states that compliance with RFexposure regulations is the responsibility of the transmitter licensee. Private and commercial mobile radioservice (CMRS) providers and operators were required to have their transmitter facilities in compliancewith the revised FCC exposure guidelines by no later than September l, 2000, if major modifications weremade or a license was renewed These federal government regulations have the greatest impact on easilyaccessible high-powered transmitter and antenna systems, such as broadcast systems. Implications forelectric utilities are mostly limited because the majority of the utilities’communications equipment iselevated on telecommunications towers, although some may be located on buildings or other utilitystructures. The power levels of the utilities’transmitters are also relatively low in comparison to the powerlevels of broadcast transmitters. However, in recent years, especially with the advent of deregulation, it hasbecome a common practice to lease space on utilities’transmission and telecommunications structures toexternal parties who provide personal communication services (PCS), cellular and sometimes PCS mobilephone services. As a result, there are now more locations where electric utility employees, particularlyelectric transmission workers, may be exposed to RF energy in their work environment. There is also greater potential for exposure due to the cumulative effects of the RF fields from multiple transmittersTherefore, persons may be exposed occupationally, in which case OSHA guidelines become applicable.
OSHA has reviewed other safety program documents (i.e., FCC) and has publicly stated that whenconsensus, state-of-the-art limits are implemented they provide protection equal to or greater than29 CFR 1910.97 (B4]. Thus, OSHA agrees that industry may use FCC limits in place of 29 CFR 1910.97 toregulate occupational exposures to nonionizing radiation. The FCC exposure limits are well recognized andsupported by the safety and health community, as well as OSHA by reference (e.g. American Conferenceof Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH) threshold limit values (TLV) and American NationalStandards Institute (ANSI). Although more restrictive than the OSHA standards, complying with theselected consensus standards is feasible and will provide a more protective workplace. The selection of themore restrictive public exposure limits from the current FCC limits as an “action level” determines when anRF safety program is necessary.
Of course, full implementation of any safety program is critical to providing the intended workerprotection. Accordingly, the utility industry is permitted, i.e., by 29 CFR 1960.16,’to prescribe and enforcemore stringent permissible exposure levels or threshold limit values and may require more frequentmonitoring of exposures without recourse to the approval procedures for alternate standards described in29 CFR 1960.17.
IEEE 1654-2009 pdf download
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