code of practice of electrical safety for work on or near high voltage

General Safety Requirementsdate <strong>for</strong> the new ARPANSA Standard is 2006.Organisations should apply appropriate exposurelimits as per NHMRC guideline or ARPANSAstandard whichever is current3.13.2 50Hz Electric FieldsThe National Health and Medical Research Council(NHMRC) interim guidelines <strong>for</strong> occupationalexposure limits <strong>for</strong> electric fields are as follows:Whole <strong>work</strong>ing day 10 kV/mShort term30 kV/mShort term exposure to fields between 10 kV/m and30 kV/m is permitted provided the field strength (inkV/m) times the duration <strong>of</strong> exposure (in hours)does not exceed 80 <strong>for</strong> the whole day. For example,exposure to an electric field <strong>of</strong> 20 kV/m would bepermitted <strong>for</strong> 4 hours under IRPA guidelines.For <strong>work</strong> situations with field strengths greater than30 kV/m, appropriate measures shall be taken.Such measures may include wearing <strong>of</strong>appropriately earthed or bonded conducting suits,the screening and earthing <strong>of</strong> vehicles, thescreening <strong>of</strong> <strong>work</strong> plat<strong>for</strong>ms and access ways, andde-energising adjacent <strong>electrical</strong> apparatus.Page 36 <strong>of</strong> 148 Blue Book – December 2005