North Carolina Administrative Code › Title 13 - LABOR › Chapter 07 - OFFICE OF OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH › Subchapter F - STANDARDS › Section .0600 - COMMUNICATION TOWER STANDARDS › Section 07F .0606 - NON-IONIZING RADIATION

Current through Register Vol. 39, No. 2, July 15, 2024
(a) General.
				  Employers shall ensure that employees performing work on communication towers
				  are not exposed to Radio Frequency (RF) Electromagnetic Fields in excess of the
				  Federal Communications Commission (FCC) maximum permissible exposure (MPE)
				  limits for exposure as prescribed in
				  47 CFR
				  1.1310.
(b) Protection from Radiation Exposure.
(1) Employees shall not enter areas where RF
				  exposure levels are above the general population/uncontrolled MPE's described
				  in 47 CFR
				  1.1310 unless they understand the potential
				  for exposure and can exercise control over the exposure.
(2) Control Procedures. Prior to employees
				  performing work in areas on a communication tower where RF exposure levels
				  exceed the occupational/controlled MPE values stated in
				  47 CFR
				  1.1310, the employer shall enact and enforce
				  written control procedures that provide for the reduction, elimination,
				  avoidance or protection from such RF levels. These written control procedures
				  shall include the following:
(A) Reducing the
				  transmitter power to a level that ensures RF exposure levels in areas where
				  employees are working do not exceed the occupational/controlled MPE values
				  stated in 47 CFR
				  1.1310, and that the transmitter power level
				  is not increased until all employees have ceased working in those areas. If
				  this method is chosen, the transmitter power shall be locked out and tagged out
				  at the reduced level by a competent person in accordance with
				  29 CFR
				  1910.147. Prior to removing lock out/tag out
				  devices and restoring the original transmitter power level, all employees shall
				  be notified and the work area shall be checked to ensure that all employees
				  have been safely positioned and removed;
(B) If the transmitter power level in areas
				  where employees are working cannot be reduced and maintained at a level that
				  ensures RF exposure levels do not exceed the occupational/controlled MPE values
				  stated in 47 CFR
				  1.1310, the transmitter power shall be locked
				  out and tagged out by a competent person in accordance with
				  29 CFR
				  1910.147. Prior to removing lock out/tag out
				  devices and restoring the transmitter power level, all employees shall be
				  notified and the work area shall be checked to ensure that all employees have
				  been safely positioned and removed;
(C) If the transmitter power level can not be
				  reduced or eliminated, an employer may permit its employees to access areas
				  where the occupational/controlled MPE values stated in
				  47 CFR
				  1.1310 are exceeded if it implements
				  engineering or administrative controls that comply with the FCC's regulations
				  concerning such exposure, including limiting the duration of the exposure and
				  utilizing monitoring equipment, RF protective clothing and other related PPE;
				  or
(D) If an employer cannot ensure
				  that the conditions in Parts (A), (B) or (C), of this Subparagraph, are met,
				  employees shall not be permitted to access areas where RF exposure levels
				  exceed the occupational/controlled MPE values stated in
				  47 CFR
				  1.1310.