Rank: Forum user 
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Can anyone help?
A company welds plastic sheeting together to make floating bouyancy aids using machines that operate using non ionising radiation - high frequency short duration doses to heat the plastic molecules - microwave /MRI type technologies.
What could be the possible health effects be of over exposure - there is obviously direct burns from heated plastic, and what would health surveilance techniques be required.
Finally what is a practicable cost effective way of monitoring exposure.
Thank you in anticipation
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Rank: Super forum user
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Contact the 'Radiation Protection Division' of the Health Protection Agency (HPA).
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Rank: Super forum user 
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First port of call should be the machine manufacturer's information and your current maintenance and inspection regimes.
NARDA and other companies make monitoring equipment, but that's not cheap and inherent methods of prevention of exposure by design should be robust enough that you needn't worry about that.
I'd also consider breakdown of composition and fume from the heated plastic material and efficiency and maintenance of LEV systems.
A proper focus on preventative measures should mean you don't have to concern yourself with health surveillance, which is often an inexact science.
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Rank: Forum user
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Non-ionising radiation can heat up exposed body parts depending upon the wave length and power of the source. Some parts of the body are more likely to be harmed than others due to their inability to dissipate any heat generated, namely eyes and testicles. So what controls need to be introduced would depend upon the risk of exposure, length of exposure and what is exposed. As has already been mentioned, the manufacturer/supplier should supply the safety data that you require. Other hazards have also already been covered. Health surveillance would not help in this case as most people move when they get warm, thereby preventing any long term damage.
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Rank: Super forum user 
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Rank: Super forum user
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..... add some science, was what the above was meant read :)
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Rank: Super forum user
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teh_boy wrote:..... add some science, was what the above was meant read :) DOH!!! Apologies - this covers sources of optical radiation
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Rank: Super forum user
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Since the frequency used in plastic welding is usually 27.12 Mhz (at something like 10 KW) the health effects associated with microwaves are not present... However, a read through the information available from the HPA: http://www.hpa.org.uk/we...e/HPAweb_C/1194947334474Unless the shielding is of high order it seems likely that the operator exposure to rf field strengths will grossly exceed the recommended levels.. Your approach seems rather strange...the manufacturer would be the obvious organisation to approach first....
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