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Installation, Operation, and Maintenance Manual # 509252 Rev R 27
Personnel Effects of Microwave Radiation
OSHA (U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Safety, and Health Administration -
Standard 29CFR 1910.97) and ANSI (American National Standards Institute -
Standard C95.1-1999) are the only major national organizations with voluntary
guidelines for safe limits of occupational microwave radiation exposure.
The ANSI recommendation is the more stringent of the two guidelines. Conservatively
expressed, it states that a worker should not be exposed to microwave radiation levels
in excess of 8 mW/cm
2
on a continuous basis at 2.45 GHz. It allows for short-term
exposure to much higher levels by stating that over a six-minute period the average
power density to which a worker is exposed to microwave radiation should not exceed
8 mW/cm
2
.
Microwave radiation is considered a non-ionizing electromagnetic radiation, which is
not known to produce genetic damage. The primary effect of this energy is to simply
raise the temperature of a body which absorbs it. For example, 5 mW/cm
2
will raise 1
cc of water 0.07
o
C in one minute. If the average worker were exposed to this energy
level continuously, he would absorb about 30 watts over his whole body. At rest, the
body dissipates about 100 watts. Therefore, this additional heat load is considered safe,
although we do not recommend continuous exposure to levels anywhere near 5
mW/cm
2
.
Fusion UV Systems equipment normally produces low level leakage well below
8mW/cm
2
in the work environment. If a microwave survey meter is used, one should
read levels well below 1 mW/cm
2
where personnel are likely to be continuously
exposed. When a lamp is started, leakage levels may increase by a factor of two or
three for the few seconds it takes to start and couple energy to the bulb. This is
considered safe due to the requirement to average under 8 mW/cm
2
over a six-minute
period.
Radio Interference
Fusion lamps operate at a fundamental frequency of 2.45 GHz. The unit may cause
interference with some local area networks (LANs) that also operate at this frequency.
Please check with your LAN manufacturer for compatibility.
Fusion UV lamps are classified as non-consumer industrial, scientific
and medical equipment, as defined in Federal Communication
Commission (FCC) Rules and Regulations Volume 47, Part 18. As
required by these rules, Fusion UV Systems verifies that their systems
are capable of compliance with applicable technical standards
governing radiated emissions when the equipment is properly
maintained and is installed in an appropriate light shield.