Health & Safety The EMC lab specific environment might be questioned by people with healt & safety concerns. Before making any assumptions regarding the hazard level in EMC test area lets go over some basic understanding of this issue. Click here to see the RF exposure chart for human body. In my opinion we test in EMC chambers at RF levels no higher than the ones that anyone can face while driving the vehicle. They are not levels that can end-up with a law suit for auto-makers, IC makers, or test equipment makers. A possible higher hazard is coming from cell-phones, PCs, and microwave in cafeteria. EMC labs should have instruments for EMF survey (Ion Meter, Electromagnetic Field Gauss meter, Field Strength Meter) to monitor the RF hazard level (if any). Obviously common sense rules like “don't work on antennas that have RF power applied”, “don't operate high-power amplifiers with the covers removed”, “no person should ever be near any transmitting antenna while it is in use”, “stay 24 inches away from high-level 60-Hz magnetic fields” and many others may save you from trouble. The regulatory standards for RF hazard levels should be also displayed on the walls. Christian Rosu Feb 27, 2006

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