CONTACT US WHERE WE ARE WORK WITH US ECOOPERA TRAINING AGENDA NEWS RESERVED AREA NEWSLETTER DOWNLOAD WASTE CYCLE WATER CYCLE ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS LABORATORY CONSULTING AND TRAINING ENVIRONMENTAL RECOVERY HOME > NEWS > ELECTROLYSIS PROCESSES: EXPOSURE TO ELECTROMAGNETIC EMISSIONS PROCESSES OF ELECTROLYSIS: EXPOSURE TO ELECTROMAGNETIC EMISSIONS 04/09/2017 In the workplace, exposure to the risks deriving from electromagnetic fields (EMF) may depend on electrolysis processes, an electrochemical phenomenon which consists in carrying out chemical transformations thanks to the supply of electricity and which has important technical and industrial applications, for example example in electrometallurgy and in the production of chlorine and aluminum. The EU-OSHA "non-binding" guide contains various information on equipment generating electromagnetic fields with reference to the electrolytic cell room and the rectifier cabinet area (each area contains a thyristor rectifier which supplies direct current to two electrolysers). With regard to the approach to the assessment of exposure, it is indicated that the exposure measurements “were made by an expert advisor using special tools”. And starting from the observation that the plant "was designed taking into account the safety of electromagnetic fields, and that the project included an evaluation consisting of a theoretical modeling, based on the calculation of the magnetic fields present around the parts of the plant conducting current, the aim of the measurements was to confirm that the protective and preventive measures already in place were such as to effectively limit exposure to electromagnetic fields ". In particular, “both the static magnetic induction - for the direct current supplied to the electrolysers - and the time-varying magnetic induction - were measured, since the direct current was produced by the rectification of an alternating current supply; it was therefore expected to find some ripple on the direct current delivered to the electrolysers. The frequency of the ripple was also confirmed during the exposure assessment ". In particular, the results of the exposure assessment in the electrolytic cell room “provided the company with the following information: - the exposure to magnetic fields deriving from the electrolysers was lower than the relevant ELVs and ALs relating to direct effects; - wearers of active implanted medical devices can be in danger due to the static magnetic fields present in the cell room; - the reference levels provided by the Council Recommendation (1999/519 / EC) were exceeded for the entire length of the electrolysers, for variable magnetic fields. However, it was unlikely that workers exposed to particular risks would enter the electrolytic cell room ”. While the results of the exposure assessment in the rectifiers area "provided the company with the following information: - exposure to magnetic fields generated by busbars and thyristors was lower than the action levels related to direct effects at ground level ; - exposure to time-varying magnetic fields generated by the transformer on the opposite side of the wall behind the rectifier was above the lower action level for time-varying magnetic induction up to a distance of 37cm from the wall surface inside the area of the rectifiers; - exposure to time-varying magnetic fields generated by the transformer was lower than the upper action level for time-varying magnetic induction in the rectifier zone; - wearers of active implanted medical devices may be at risk from the static magnetic fields present in the rectifier area. However, the warning signs and safety information on the site were considered adequate; - the reference levels provided by the Council Recommendation (1999/519 / EC) have been exceeded for time varying magnetic fields. However, it was unlikely that workers exposed to particular risks would enter the rectifier area ”. And on the basis of the exposure assessment carried out by the consultant, the company therefore carried out a risk assessment for the chlorine production plant in relation to electromagnetic fields, with reference to the methodology proposed by OiRA (the online interactive platform of EU-OSHA for risk assessment). The risk assessment “concluded that: - workers exposed to particular risks can run dangers in the vicinity of the electrolysers; - workers, including those exposed to particular risks, may run dangers in the area of the rectifier cabinets due to exposure to magnetic fields ". We conclude by reporting some protection and prevention measures that were already in place: - "the intensity of the time-varying magnetic fields, probably generated by the ripple of the direct current supply to the electrolysers, has been reduced to a minimum, for example by using rectifiers 12-pulse instead of six-pulse; - the plant was of sufficient size to allow the strong magnetic fields to be easily separated from the workers; - appropriate warning signs have been placed in clearly visible positions in the system; - the workers had been informed of the potential exposure to electromagnetic fields, and had been asked to inform the employer if they were wearing implanted medical devices ”. And, finally, the exposure assessment confirmed that “the plant was designed in a satisfactory way from the point of view of exposure to electromagnetic fields; therefore it was not necessary to take any additional precautions following the exposure assessment ”. 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