Exposure to optical radiation

Optical radiation encompasses three essential wavelength ranges: ultraviolet (UV) radiation (100 to 400 nm), visible radiation (light, 400 to 800 nm) and infrared (IR) radiation (800 nm to 1 mm). The shorter the wavelength, the greater the energy of the photons and therefore the potential risk of harm is.

It is important for the complete radiation spectrum to be recorded when measurements are performed at workplaces, in order to determine the wavelength ranges in which radiation occurs. Instruments optimized for each wavelength range (UV, visible, IR) are then used in order to determine the hazard more precisely. A wide range of exposure situations arise in industrial environments; prediction or estimation of the radiation from a description is therefore often very imprecise.

An overview of exposure situations frequently encountered in practice has been published in a report (in German). Owing to the high radiation levels, the associated hazards and the large number of affected workplaces, the IFA has conducted specific research into emissions of UV radiation during arc welding (IFA Informative Publication in German). The radiation spectra of different welding methods (XLS, 114 kB) determined by this research are available for download.

Gas torches (PDF, 299 kB, non-accessible) were studied owing to their radiation emissions, which had not previously been quantified. An IFA Report of these studies has also been published (in German).