Optimised tools to assess workers' exposure to electromagnetic radiation
The Physical Agents Directive introduces measures to encourage improvements in workers' safety and health across the EU. It specifically concerns workers' exposure to risks arising from EMFs. By July 2016 Member States are required to bring into force any laws, regulations and/or administrative provisions necessary to comply with the Directive. With EU funding, the EMFWELD (Analysis of workers exposure to electromagnetic fields (EMF) from welding and NDT processes, guidelines for risk assessment and development of risk assessment web based application) project set out to significantly decrease EMF compliance costs for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The EMFWELD team analysed workers' exposure to EMFs from welding and non-destructive inspection processes. Some welding and NDT procedures use relatively high currents that produce large magnetic fields around cables, work pieces and electrodes. It also produced guidelines for risk assessment, and modelled and simulated the effects of EMFs on end users. Project partners developed a risk assessment web-based application software to assist and support SMEs. The toolkit calculates and evaluates workers' exposure to EMFs, supplying easy-to-use, reliable and actionable information on the risks in operating machines. It specifies risk levels and whether exposure is expected to be below or above the limit imposed by the Directive. The tool is based on a database of magnetic waveforms containing over 900 entries, more than 100 magnetic field maps and 100 modelling scenarios. EMFWELD helped to improve understanding of EMFs in various welding and inspection processes and to reduce costs of exposure assessment. With clear guidance and support via the EMF risk assessment tool, SMEs will be more competitive while maintaining high safety standards.
Keywords
Exposure, electromagnetic field, risk assessment, welding, non-destructive testing
