Occupational Health Assessment of Power Frequency Electric Field

The nature of power frequency electric fields generated by power substations is extremely low frequency electricfields (ELFEF).In order to prevent hazards of ELFEF to workers,China develops an exposure standard for power frequency electricfields.But a part of the evaluation personnel do not fully understand the assessment protocols dealing with various categories ofpower substations defined by voltage.This review summarized the features and current theoretical and experimental data fromdifferent categories of industrial and mining substations with various levels of electric fields.In occupational health assessment,power frequency electric fields could be identified as electric-current-contact-related electrical stimulation indirectly caused bythe interaction between external electric fields,and no long-term or short-term adverse effect would occur to human body if theelectric field was at or less than 10 kV/m.Hence,power frequency electric field should not be considered as a major occupationalhazard source.