Various guidelines for the protection of human beings against possible adverse effects resulting from exposure to electromagnetic fields (EMFs) have been published with a view towards continual improvement; therefore, decreasing exposure is an important research area. The aim of this study was to investigate the possibility of decreasing electric field exposure with arc flash rated personal protective equipment (PPE), which in this case was a set of coveralls, and to compare the measurement results to calculations using the helmet-mask measuring system. We collected the data under a 400-kV power line. The test person stood on isolated aluminum paper, and the current between the ground and the aluminum paper was measured. When the test subject wore the arc flash PPE, the current to the ground was only 9.5% of the current measured when wearing normal clothes, which represents a clear decrease in exposure.
Directive 2013/35/EU of the European Parliament and Council, among other things, sets values for the occupational exposure of workers regarding the health and safety risks arising from electromagnetic fields. In order to ensure worker safety, the Finnish national grid operator, Fingrid Oyj, conducted several measurements of electromagnetic fields at its substations. One of the goals of the measurements was to ensure that a magnetic flux density of 1000 µT (rms), set as the lower action value by the EU directive, was not reached in any location accessible to substation workers. The highest magnetic flux densities at substations can be found near shunt reactors and their cables, which is why the measurements were focused on those areas. The lower action value of 1000 µT (rms) was surpassed at two locations. This discovery led to immediate actions to prevent workers from accessing these locations.
Earlier studies conducted at 400 and 110 kV substations in Finland have shown that the occupational exposure to electric fields can exceed the action levels (ALs) set by Directive 2013/35/EU. This is a case study investigating the level of occupational exposure experienced by workers at 220 kV substations in order to determine if the actions levels are being exceeded. The measurements were conducted at two old 220 kV substations in Finland. The higher AL of 20 kV m-1 was exceeded at both substations.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.