RF Exposure Standards An Overview of US and International Requirements

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RF Exposure StandardsAn Overview of US and
International Requirements

• Northeast Product Safety Society Meeting
• January 25, 2006

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RF Whats in a name?

• EMF-Electromagnetic Field
• RFR-Radiofrequency Radiation
• EME-Electromagnetic Energy
• Broadband RF
• UWB-UltraWideBand
• MW-Microwave Energy

• NIR-Nonionizing Radiation
• EEMC-Environmental Electromagnetic Compatibility
• ElectroSmog

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Regulatory Layers

• Corporate, Local, City, State, Provincial
  Regulations
• Multiple National Requirements (ie, FCC, OSHA,
  EPA)
• International Standards and Recommendations

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Initial PT62232 Reference Documents

• IEC TC77, TC85, 61566, 61893, 62209 WG3
• ANSI/IEEE C95.13 , C95.7, 473, 1528 1309
• CENELEC prEN50400, EN50383, EN50932, EN50361
  TC106X
• CEPT ECC0204
• ITU (T) K.52 K.61
• ITU (R) BS2037
• ETSI 300577 T2 101870
• FCC OET65
• All are related to measurements and RF exposure.
  

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Health Risks of EME Fields

• Short term immediate effects
• Stimulation of peripheral nerves and muscles
• Shocks and burns through touching conducting
  parts
• Tissue heating due to energy absorption
• Potential long term effects
• Increased risk of cancer insufficient data to
  provide
• basis for setting exposure restrictions

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Regulatory Background

• Early work by US Navy in 1950s
• Significant Advancement through Various Bodies
  both International and Domestic IEEE SCC28,
  NCRP, ICNIRP, EPA, FDA
• Current Reference Standards in US
• IEEE Std C95.1 Standard for Safety Levels with
  Respect to Human Exposure to Radiofrequency
  Electromagnetic Fields, 3 kHz to 300GHz
• IEEE Std C95.3 Recommended Practice for the
  Measurement of Potentially Hazardous
  Electromagnetic Fields RF and Microwave

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Current Regulatory Requirements - USA

• FCC
• 1996 Congressional Environmental Act
• 1997 FCC ET Docket 93-62, FCC 96-326
• OET 65 Edition 97-01 Guidelines for evaluating
  compliance to RF emissions
• Legally Enforceable
• Addresses MPE and SAR Limits
• OSHA
• OSHA 1910-9 Voluntary, Not Legally Enforceable
• 1998 Congressional Consensus Standard
• Currently Enforcing FCC and IEEE Limits

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Major Points OET-65

• Establishes limits which vary over frequency
• Provides a two tiered approach for occupational
  and the general public
• Sets time averaging limits for both levels
• Allows for spatial measurement
• Requires MPE compliance for FCC regulated
  transmitters or file Environmental Assessment
• Shared responsibility in multi-transmitter sites
  (5)

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Compliance Methods

• Maximum Permissible Exposure (MPE)
• Fixed and mobile devices
• Far field measurements
• gt20cm
• Allows predictive methods and measurements
• Specific Absorption Rate (SAR)
• Portable devices
• Near Field
• lt20cm
• Allows for measurements (future modeled or
  predicted)

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Controls

• Limit output power
• Limit access
• Time averaging
• Shielding
• Antenna positioning/patterns
• Signage

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Enforcement

• Congressional funding 2000
• Jerry Ulcek forms enforcement groups
• Increased FCC Actions and on-site reviews

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OSHA Regulations

• General Duty Clause
• OSHAct Section 5(a)(1)
• Employers shall provide work which is free from
  recognized hazards that are causing or are likely
  to cause death or serious physical harm.
• OSHA RF Standard 1910.97 not enforceable, only
  voluntary and not current with IEEE or FCC
• 1998 Congressional Consensus Standards Act
  provides link to OET65 and enforceable MPE.

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OSHA/FCC Differences

• OET65 does not address Induced Currents
• OSHA follows ANSI C95 for Lower frequencies and
  Induced Currents.
• OSHA has no authority over general population
• OSHA regulations apply to both licensed operators
  and general industry (any employer)

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Key Web Sites

• www.fcc.gov/oet/rfsafety
• www.osha.gov/SLTC/radiofrequencyradiation

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Broadband RF Applications

• Induction Heating
• Security/Theft Detection
• Diathermy
• Dielectric Heating
• Plasma Processing
• Welding

• Broadcast/Telecom
• Electro Surgery
• Hyperthermia
• Microwave Heating
• Radar

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RF Industrial Application
Heat Sealing
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RF Application
Induced Current
Broadcast
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Equipment Vendors

• ETS-Lindgren (Holaday)
• Narda STS (WG, PMM)
• Survey Meters, Personal Monitors
• Protective Clothing, Signage

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RF PPE (Personal Protective Eqpt)

• RF Personal Monitors
• RF Protective Clothing
• RF Signs

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Induced Current Measurements

• Close coupling between subject and source
• Absorbed energy not accurately predicted by
  free-field measurements

HI-3702 Induced Current Meter
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New Measurement Methods

• Shifting towards narrow band measurements, away
  from broadband
• New EN Standard allows insitu SAR

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Specific Absorption Rate (SAR)
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Specific Absorption Rate (SAR)

• FCC OET 65 Supplement C 01-01
• (Living Document with introduction of new
  technologies and products)
• 20cm Rule For Fixed/Mobile/Portable devices
  defined as transmitters .which are to be used
  with any part of its radiating structure in
  direct contact with the users body or within
  20cm of a user or bystander under normal
  operating conditions.

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EN50630/50631

• Near equivalent to OET 65 Supplement C
• 10 gram vs.1 gram averaging
• Less stringent E Field probe requirements
• Most countries Self-certification
• Commonly referenced outside of Europe

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SAR standards limits around the world
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New SAR Regulations

• IEC TC106 WG4 PT62209 Part I
• Final Balloting early 2004 (complete)
• Harmonized with IEEE1528
• SCC34SC2 Draft IEEE1528
• Published December 2003
• Corrigendum Sub-committee working on Technical
  Issues
• Addresses Handsets only against SAM Phantoms,
  300MHz to 3GHz
• No Procedures for Body Mount or other Devices

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Future/Current Standards Work

• IEEE 1528
• Corrigendum Work
• PT62209 Part II
• WG for extension from 30 to 300MHz
• WG for extension from 3 to 6GHz
• Language for Body Mount, Accessories and other
  Transmitting Devices
• Multiple Transmitters
• To be Harmonized with IEEE1528

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Revision Considerations

• New Simulant Recipes Parameters
• New Probe Calibration Procedures
• DUT Positioning Requirements
• Validation/Verification Procedures
• Co-located Transmitters
• New Phantom Specifications
• Revised Uncertainty Budgets

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Enforcement

• Supplement C in place
• Acquired test capability 2002
• Grant off-load to TCBs up to over 90
• Added staff

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System Requirements
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Measurement Procedures
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Major SAR Vendors

• APREL Laboratories, Canada
• ETS-Lindgren, USA
• IndexSAR, United Kingdom
• Schmidt Partner AG, Switzerland

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Summary

• OET65 legally enforceable MPE 300 kHz to 300 GHz
• Through Consensus Act OSHA uses FCC MPE limits
• Increased enforcement expected
• OET 65 Supplement C provides framework for SAR
• IEEE and IEC standards in catch-up mode
• Requirements evolve with technology
• Increased enforcement expected

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