Telecommunications Safety

Introduction

ETSI activity in the field of telecommunications safety is based on the following legislation:

  • Radio equipment and telecommunications terminal equipment Directive (1999/5/EC)
  • Low Voltage Directive (2006/95/EC) - Codified version.

The Low Voltage Directive is one of a set of Directives that apply to electrical equipment. For more information, see the European Commission - Enterprise and Industry web pages on Electrical Equipment.

  • Physical Agents' Directive (non-ionizing radiation) (2004/40/EC).

This is part of a package of measures related to Health and Safety at work, and puts requirements on employers to provide their workers with a safe working environment, in particular with respect to ElectroMagnetic Fields (EMF).



Our Role & Activities

ETSI activity is carried out in close cooperation with CENELEC, who have the lead on developing Harmonized Standards enabling compliant equipment to be marketed.ETSI provide technical expertise to CENELEC on telecommunications-specific issues and ensure that equipment built to ETSI standards can comply with safety requirements.

Safety of audio, video, information technology and communication technology equipment

ETSI is monitoring the ongoing work in IEC TC108 and CENELEC TC 108 to review standards on ICT equipment.ETSI is also monitoring the ongoing work in CENELEC TC 209 and IEC TC 100 to review safety standards on equipment used in Cable networks for television signals, sound signals and interactive services.

Laser safety

ETSI is monitoring the ongoing work in IEC TC76 to review standards on optical fibre equipment.

Safety of batteries used on hand-held telecommunications equipment

ETSI is contributing to work in CENELEC under mandate M/362 'Standardisation mandate to CEN, CENELEC and ETSI in the field of ICT: Harmonized standards for ensuring the safety of batteries in hand-held radio and telecommunications terminal equipment'.

Human Exposure to Electromagnetic Fields

  • Exposure limits - Limits for human exposure for the general public are set by the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP). The ICNIRP limits are included in Council recommendation 1999/519/EC on the limitation of exposure of the general public to electromagnetic fields (0 Hz to 300 GHz).

  • Equipment standards - Requirements on equipment related to non-ionising radiation in order to limit exposure of humans are covered by the Low Voltage Directive. CENELEC and ETSI have accepted a mandate (M/305) to provide the necessary Harmonized Standards to demonstrate compliance with the ICNIRP limits. These will be published by CENELEC; ETSI expertise on telecommunications-specific matters is provided via ETSI technical committee Safety. This is a High Interest Subject in the Global Radio Standards Collaboration.

  • Protection of workers - CENELEC and ETSI have accepted a mandate (M/351) to provide the necessary Standards to allow an employer to assess his work place and ensure that he complies with the Physical Agents Directive (2004/40/EC). Harmonized Standards will be published by CENELEC. ETSI is providing expertise on the measurement of electromagnetic fields. In response to this mandate, ETSI is also developing an ETSI Standard (ES 201 870) on working conditions at radio sites (a development of TR 101 870).



Standards

Published safety standards:

TR 101 870 Fixed radio transmitter sites;
Exposure to non-ionising electromagnetic fields;
Guidelines for working conditions


Work has started recently in ETSI to develop a Harmonized Standard for electromagnetic field aspects of ground-based Air Traffic Management Equipment. This Harmonized Standard will provide a basis for presumption of conformity of equipment to Article 3.1a of the R&TTE Directive and is being prepared as a response to European Commission Mandate M/405:

DEN/SAFETY-00006  Telecommunications Equipment Safety: EMF requirements for Ground Based AIR TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT Equipment covering essential requirements of Article 3.1a of the R&TTE Directive



ETSI published another useful deliverable EG 202 373, which is a guide to the methods of measurement of Radio Frequency (RF) fields.

The standards listed below are produced by other standards organisations with which ETSI has close cooperation:

Safety of audio, video, information technology and communication technology equipment
  • IEC/EN 60065: 'Audio, video and similar electronic apparatus - Safety requirements' (under revision)
  • IEC/EN 60950-1: 'Information technology equipment - Safety - Part 1: General requirements' (under revision)
  • IEC/EN 60950-21: 'Information technology equipment - Safety - Part 21: Remote power feeding'
  • IEC 60950-22 'Information technology equipment - Safety - Part 22: Equipment installed outdoors'
  • EC 60950-23 'Information technology equipment - Safety - Part 23: Large data storage equipment'
  • IEC 62368: 'Audio/Video, Information and Communication Technology Equipment - Safety Requirements' (under development)
  • IEC/CLC TR 62102: 'Electrical safety - Classification of interfaces for equipment to be connected to information and communications technology networks'
  • IEC 62151: 'Safety of equipment electrically connected to a telecommunication network'
  • IEC 62441: 'Accidentally caused candle flame ignition
  • IEC/CLC TS 62367: 'Safety aspects for xDSL signals on circuits connected to telecommunication networks (DSL: Digital Subscriber Line)'
  • EN 41003: 'Particular safety requirements for equipment to be connected to telecommunication networks'
  • IEC/EN 60728-11: 'Cable networks for television signals, sound signals and interactive services -- Part 11: Safety' (under revision).

The list of standards that provide presumption of conformity with the Low Voltage Directive can be found in the website of the European Commission.

Laser safety

  • IEC/EN 60825-1: 'Safety of laser products - Part 1: Equipment classification, requirements and user's guide' (under revision)

  • IEC/EN 60825-2: 'Safety of laser products - Part 2: Safety of optical fibre communication systems (OFCS)' (under revision)

  • IEC/TR 60825-10: 'Safety of laser products - Part 10: Application guidelines and explanatory notes to IEC 60825-1'

  • IEC/EN 60825-12: 'Safety of laser products - Part 12: Safety of free space optical communication systems used for transmission of information'.

  • IEC/TR 60825-14: 'Safety of laser products - Part 14: A user's guide'.

The list of standards that provide presumption of conformity with the Low Voltage Directive can be found in the web site of the European Commission.

Safety of batteries used on hand-held telecommunications equipment

  • IEC/EN 61960: 'Secondary cells and batteries containing alkaline or other non-acid electrolytes - Secondary lithium cells and batteries for portable applications'

  • IEC/EN 61951-1: 'Secondary cells and batteries containing alkaline or other non-acid electrolytes - Portable sealed rechargeable single cells -- Part 1: Nickel-cadmium'

  • IEC/EN 61951-2: 'Secondary cells and batteries containing alkaline or other non-acid electrolytes - Portable sealed rechargeable single cells -- Part 2: Nickel-metal hydride'

  • IEC/EN 62133: 'Secondary cells and batteries containing alkaline or other non-acid electrolytes - Safety requirements for portable sealed secondary cells, and for batteries made from them, for use in portable applications'.

NOTE: IEC/EN 60950-1 includes requirements for the safety of battery-powered equipment.

ITU Publications

Work on this issue is undertaken in ITU-R Study Group 6 and ITU-T Study Group 5 Current publications:

  • ITU-R Recommendation BS.1698: 'Evaluating fields from terrestrial broadcasting transmitting systems operating in any frequency band for assessing exposure to non-ionizing radiation'
  • ITU-T Recommendation K.52: 'Guidance on complying with limits for human exposure to electromagnetic fields'
  • ITU-T Recommendation K.61: 'Guidance to measurement and numerical prediction of electromagnetic fields for compliance with human exposure limits for telecommunication installations'.
IEC Published standards

  • IEC/EN 62209-1: 'Human exposure to radio frequency fields from hand-held and body-mounted wireless communication devices - Human models, instrumentation, and procedures - Part 1: Procedure to determine the specific absorption rate (SAR) for hand-held devices used in close proximity to the ear (frequency range of 300 MHz to 3 GHz)' (Replaces: CENELEC EN 50361)

  • IEC/EN 62226-1: 'Exposure to electric or magnetic fields in the low and intermediate frequency range - Methods for calculating the current density and internal electric field induced in the human body -- Part 1: General'

  • IEC/EN 62226-2-1: 'Exposure to electric or magnetic fields in the low and intermediate frequency range - Methods for calculating the current density and internal electric field induced in the human body - Part 2-1: Exposure to magnetic fields - 2D models'.

CENELEC published standards

  • EN 50385: 'Product standard to demonstrate the compliance of radio base stations and fixed terminal stations for wireless telecommunication systems with the basic restrictions or the reference levels related to human exposure to radio frequency electromagnetic fields (110 MHz - 40 GHz) - General public'

  • EN 50360: 'Product standard to demonstrate the compliance of mobile phones with the basic restrictions related to human exposure to electromagnetic fields (300 MHz - 3 GHz)'

  • EN 50361: 'Basic standard for the measurement of Specific Absorption Rate related to human exposure to electromagnetic fields from mobile phones (300 MHz - 3 GHz)'

  • EN 50364: 'Limitation of human exposure to electromagnetic fields from devices operating in the frequency range 0 Hz to 10 GHz, used in Electronic Article Surveillance (EAS), Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) and similar applications'

  • EN 50366: 'Household and similar electrical appliances - Electromagnetic fields - Methods for evaluation and measurement' (CLC TC 61, produced in a joint group with CLC TC 106X)

  • EN 50371: 'Generic standard to demonstrate the compliance of low power electronic and electrical apparatus with the basic restrictions related to human exposure to electromagnetic fields (10 MHz - 300 GHz) - General public'

  • EN 50392: 'Generic standard to demonstrate the compliance of electronic and electrical apparatus with the basic restrictions related to human exposure to electromagnetic fields (0 Hz - 300 GHz)'.

CENELEC standards in preparation

  • prEN 50400: 'Basic standard to demonstrate the compliance of fixed equipment for radio transmission (110 MHz - 40 GHz) intended for use in wireless telecommunication networks with the basic restrictions or the reference levels related to general public exposure to radio frequency electromagnetic fields, when put into service' (CENELEC Vote completed 30 June 2005)

  • prEN50401: 'Product standard to demonstrate the compliance of fixed equipment for radio transmission (110 MHz - 40 GHz) intended for use in wireless telecommunication networks with the basic restrictions or the reference levels related to general public exposure to radio frequency electromagnetic fields, when put into service' (CENELEC Vote completed 30 June 2005)

  • prEN 50413: 'Basic standard on measurement and calculation procedures for human exposure to electric, magnetic and electromagnetic fields (0 Hz - 300 GHz)' (CENELEC Vote completed 22 June 2005)

  • prEN50420: 'Basic standard for the evaluation of human exposure to electromagnetic fields from a stand alone broadcast transmitter (30 MHz - 40 GHz)' (CENELEC Vote completed 24 June 2005)

  • prEN50421: 'Product standard to demonstrate the compliance of stand alone broadcast transmitters with the reference levels or the basic restrictions related to public human exposure to radio frequency electromagnetic fields (30 MHz - 40 GHz)' )' (CENELEC Vote completed 24 June 2005).