IEEE International Committee on Electromagnetic Safety (ICES) IEEE SCC28 Activities and Harmonization

1. IEEE International Committee on Electromagnetic Safety (ICES)IEEE SCC28 Activities and Harmonization e-mail: r.c.petersen@ieee.org Ronald C. Petersen Executive Secretary - ICES

2. RF Safety Standards • The study of the biological effects of RF energy is a mature scientific discipline with more than a 50 year history • The RF bioeffects literature is extensive but of uneven quality and includes studies reporting “thermal” and “non-thermal” (low-level) effects • Contemporary RF exposure limits should be biologically based and reflect a consensus interpretation of relevant studies from the bioelectromagnetics literature by qualified scientists, physicians and engineers GSC-8, OTTAWA

3. ICES (SCC28): Scope Development of standards for the safe use of electromagnetic energy in the range of 0 Hz to 300 GHz relative to the potential hazards of exposure of man, volatile materials, and explosive devices to such energy GSC-8, OTTAWA

4. ICES: History • Established in 1959 as USASI* Committee C95 (Sponsored by the IEEE and the US Navy Dept) • ANSI C95 Committee then ANSI Accredited Standards Committee until 1990 • Converted to Standards Coordinating Committee 28 (SCC 28) under the sponsorship of the IEEE Standards Board in 1990 • Title “International Committee on Electromagnetic Safety” (ICES) approved by IEEE-SA Standards Board in2000. *USA Standards Institute – Now ANSI GSC-8, OTTAWA

5. Membership* • ICES follows an open consensus process, with a balance of disciplines and a balanced representation from the medical, scientific, engineering, industrial, government, and military communities • Membership of the main committee stands at 113 including 33 from outside the US and representing more than 17 countries. Total membership including the subcommittees stands at more than 300 *IEEE membership is not required GSC-8, OTTAWA

6. Importance of ICES Activities • leading authoritative work in the US • more than forty year history of C95 standards developed through an open consensus process • broadest scientific consensus • forms basis for most contemporary RF safety standards GSC-8, OTTAWA

7. Current Standards • IEEE C95.1-1991 (1999 edition), IEEE Standard for Safety Levels with Respect to Human Exposure to Radio Frequency Electromagnetic Fields, 3 kHz to 300 GHz. • IEEE C95.2-1999, IEEE Standard for Radio Frequency Energy and Current Flow Symbols. (Replaces ANSI C95.2-1982) • IEEE C95.3-2002, Recommended Practice for Measurements and Computations of Radio Frequency Electromagnetic Fields with Respect to Human Exposure to Such Fields, 100 kHz to 300 GHz. (Replaces IEEE C95.3-1991.) GSC-8, OTTAWA

8. Current Standards • IEEE ANSI C95.4-2002, IEEE Recommended Practice for Determining Safe Distances from Radio Frequency Transmitting Antennas When Using Electric Blasting Caps During Explosive Operations. (Replaces ANSI C95.4-1978) • IEEE C95.6-2002, IEEE Standard for Safety Levels With Respect to Human Exposure to Electromagnetic Fields, 0 to 3 kHz GSC-8, OTTAWA

9. C95.1 Revision • The literature evaluation began for the revision of C95.1 in 1997. This is the most comprehensive literature evaluation ever for a RF/microwave safety standard. Currently there are approximately 1800 citations in the database. • Some of the issues being addressed in revising the standard are the need for two tiers and spatial-peak SAR values and averaging volume. • Subcommittee balloting is expected to occur this summer. GSC-8, OTTAWA

10. Need for Harmonization Differences are exemplified by some as evidence of scientific uncertainty • Wide range in exposure limits • 0.01 - 0.1 W/m2, e.g., Russia, China, Paris • 10 - 100 W/m2, e.g., IEEE, ICNIRP, NRPB (UK) • Need to resolve differences in rationale • The lowest limits are based mainly on reports of subjective stress-related effects gathered retrospectively • Contemporary standards, e.g., IEEE, ICNIRP*, are based on demonstrated reproducible effects that can be related to human health – mainly from in vivo and in vitro laboratory studies *Int. Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection GSC-8, OTTAWA

11. Threats: Precautionary Principle • The precautionary principle explicitly rejects or trivializes science, as we know it, in favor of a “post-normal science” • Science policy, conservative assumptions, selected data or science of low quality have allowed substantial departure from knowledge based on “good science”; particularly for extrapolations and projections • Thus, regulations can vary greatly between countries; whereas the same “good science” is available to all GSC-8, OTTAWA

12. Threats: Precautionary Principle • The precautionary principle can be used to justify whatever politicians, for example, wish to do to assuage public concern about perceived hazard (real or imagined) and imputed risk • If we wish to preserve some fact-, science-based RF safety regulations, the standards community must work together to ensure that their standards are soundly based on the best available science GSC-8, OTTAWA

13. RF Safety Standards: Summary • The rationale and basic restrictions of contemporary RF safety standards and guidelines, such as those of IEEE and ICNIRP, are essentially the same • Major differences between these and the far lower limits used in some parts of the world are based on philosophical differences in the rationale, e.g., acceptance of the precautionary principle • If we wish to preserve science-based RF safety regulations, the standards community must work together to ensure that their standards are soundly based on the best available science For more information: http://grouper.ieee.org/groups/scc28/ GSC-8, OTTAWA