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Definitions (Section 4)
 

Action level. The values of the electric and magnetic field strength, the incident power density, contact and induced current, and contact voltages above which steps should be initiated to protect against exposures that exceed the upper tier, specifically, implementation of an RF safety program. (Definition per IEEE Std C95.1-2005, see Standards.)

Controlled RF environment. An area where the occupancy and activity of those within is subject to control and accountability as established by an RF safety program for the purpose of protection from RF exposure hazards. (Note that industry standard terminology for this definition is just controlled environment, but we use controlled RF environment to distinguish from an environment which is controlled with respect to other hazards, such as ionizing radiation.) (Definition per IEEE Std C95.1-2005, see Standards.)

Duty factor. The fraction of time a transmitter or source is emitting radio frequency or microwave energy, usually expressed as the ratio of the time on to the sum of the time on and off during the averaging time. For continuous emitters, the duty factor is equal to 1. The duty factor is multiplied by the field measurement to obtain a time-averaged exposure.

Maximum permissible exposure (MPE) limit. An exposure limit or guideline for RF energy exposure published by a recognized consensus standards organization, such as the IEEE

Non-ionizing radiation (NIR). All radiation and fields of the electromagnetic spectrum that do not normally have sufficient energy to produce ionization in matter; characterized by energy per photon less than about 12 electron volts (eV), wavelengths greater than 100 nanometers (nm), and frequencies lower than 3x1015 hertz (Hz). (Definition per IEEE Std C95.1-2005, see Standards.)

Radio frequency (RF). A frequency that is useful for radio transmission. For purposes of this chapter, the frequency range of interest is 3 kHz to 300 GHz. (Definition per “Guidelines for Limiting Exposure to Time-Varying Electric, Magnetic, and Electromagnetic Fields (up to 300 GHz), International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection”. Health Physics 74 (4): 494-522; 1998.)

Radio frequency safety program (RFSP). An organized system of policies, procedures, practices and plans designed to protect against hazards associated with RF fields, contact voltage, and contact and induced currents. RFSPs must be documented in writing. (Definition per IEEE Std C95.1-2005, see Standards.)

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