OSHA Inspection: AKROS BY LUMAX CORP.

Issued

Dec 8, 1988

Abate by

Jun 13, 1989

Penalty

Initial $360 · Current $360

Hazardous substances 8350

General-duty citation text

Section 5(a)(1) of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970:  The
employer did not furnish employment and a place of employment which were
free from recognized hazards that were causing or likely to cause death
or serious physical harm to employees in that employees were exposed to:
a) The hazard of nonionizing radiofrequency (RF) radiation in excess of
the American National Standards Institutes Radiofrequency Protection
Guide. Exposure occurred during the operation of sealing vinyl with
the use of raiofrequency heat sealer. The following exposures and
the corresponding limits were determined:
1) Employee operating heat sealer #6 (manufactured by Kabar C. Model
KTA, S/N 306) at 27 Megahertz was exposed to a peak electric field
strength of 21,600 volts squared per meter squared (V2/M2) and a
magnetic field strength of 0.504 amperes squared (A2/M2) in the
chest region, averaged over 80.1 hour period.
Those values are in excess of the RF Protection Guide values of
4,938 V2/M2 and 0.0308 A2/M2, correspondingly.
2) Employee operating heat sealer #2 (End Cell Machine, manufactured
by Kabar Co., Model DH-10.000, S/N 10051) at 26.4 megahertz was
exposed to a peak electric field strength of 41,400 V2/M2 in the
chest region averaged over a 0.1 hour period.  This value is in
excess of the RF Protection Guide limit of 5,160 V2/M2. Measured
values for the magnetic field strength were not in excess of the
RF Protection Guide limit of 0.0323 A2/M2.
Exposure to the RF radiation in laboratory animals has resulted in
the following health effects, changes in:  electroencephalographic
(EEG) recording of electrical activity of the brain, conditioned
reflex behavior, chemical composition of the blood,  the endocrine
system, and the immunological system.  These changes are a result of
heating of deep body tissues.
Feasible engineering and administrative controls to reduce exposure
include but are not limited to the following:
1) Increasing the distance between the operator and heat sealing surface
by training or moving controls to a different area.
2) Shielding the area around the point of operation and grounding the
shield.
As an interim measure, the employer shall train employees on hazards of
radiofrequency radiation and how engineering and administration will
reduce exposure.

Issued

Dec 8, 1988

Abate by

Jan 16, 1989

Penalty

Initial $240 · Current $240

Issued

Dec 8, 1988

Abate by

Jan 15, 1989

Issued

Dec 8, 1988

Abate by

Jan 16, 1989