Protecting Railway Workers from Exposure to EMF Radiation

Extremely low frequency (ELF) electric and magnetic fields exist wherever electricity is generated, transmitted, or distributed in powerlines or cables.

The widespread use of electricity means that people are exposed to ELF electric and magnetic fields in the home, in the environment and in the workplace.  

In Australia, suburban trains in New South Wales and Victoria operate at 1500V dc. Suburban trains in Queensland, Western Australia and South Australia operate at 25,000V ac. Queensland also has an extensive electrified rail freight network operating at 25,000V dc.  

Trams typically operate at voltages ranging from 600 volts to 750 volts dc. 

There is the potential to be exposed to ELF electric and magnetic fields (EMF) from the following sources: 

• Electric fields produced by the overhead conductor. 
• Magnetic fields produced by the traction current flowing in the overhead conductor and returning in the running rails. 
• Magnetic fields produced by conductors within the train carrying the current to the motors. 

ARPANSA, the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency has published a useful document on non-ionising radiation protection in Australia. 

One of the main concerns with electrified transport networks is the static fields associated with DC traction systems.  

ADM Nuclear Technologies specialises in supplying EMF monitoring solutions to enable you to protect your workers from exposure to electromagnetic radiation. 

The Wavecontrol SMP3 is ideal for monitoring the EMF emissions associated with railway traction and infrastructure systems. These generally operate from DC to 20KHz, so the SMP3 EMF meter and WP400 field probe are most suitable (E and H field).

However, for DC-powered railways the WPH-DC probe is most suitable.

Want to Learn More? 

What you do next will depend on your circumstances. If you are in the process of gathering information and would like to receive further information about protecting employees from EMF radiation, then please register below to receive further updates on protecting workers from EMF radiation. 

However, if your situation is more immediate and you would like to speak to someone, then please do not hesitate to contact ADM Nuclear Technologies. 

Our expert team is on hand to answer your questions about EMF radiation exposure and will guide you in selecting the most appropriate EMF radiation protection solution for your employees.