The effect of operator hand position and workstation furniture on foot current for radio frequency heater operators

Details

• Personal Author:
  Conover, David L. ; Edwards RM ; Lotz, W. Gregory ; Shaw, Peter B. ; Snyder DL
• Description:
  Foot current was measured in radio frequency (RF) heater operators in relation to operator hand position and workstation furniture. The study examined two dielectric heaters, each having a parallel plate applicator and being used to produce plastic waterbed mattresses. Four workers operated one heater and two operated the other. The operator's hand and upper torso positions strongly influenced the foot current under the conditions of reactive field coupling. Foot current was effectively reduced when the hands of the operator were in his or her lap. No measurable effect on foot current was noted by the use of different types of low loss dielectric stools (wood or plastic). A large spatial variation over the body of the operator was noted for field strength exposures. The authors recommend that industrial hygienists determine the dependence of foot current on common hand and upper torso positions in an effort to obtain meaningful exposure evaluations for heater operators. The authors conclude that operator foot current can be reduced by keeping the hands and torso as far away from the RF heater as practical. Physical barriers may be helpful in this regard. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Manufacturing And Industrial Facilities Musculoskeletal System Occupational Exposure Occupational Health Radiation Safety
• Keywords:
  Electromagnetic-radiation Industrial-factory-workers NIOSH-Author Nonionizing-radiation Occupational-exposure Posture Radiation-exposure Radiation-measurement
• ISSN:
  1047-322X
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  256-261
• Volume:
  9
• Issue:
  4
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:00220167
• Citation:
  Appl Occup Environ Hyg 1994 Apr; 9(4):256-261
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  1994
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Source Full Name:
  Applied Occupational and Environmental Hygiene
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:dc23b41ce3840c76fa88655d279743230d2114344aed0a62744ce3cf1f9f3f87b250991cf9ed35a863d14ed03f77c9fec141d9be859c746f99bc22973e4bc0bf
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/205709/cdc_205709_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 853.03 KB ]