International Guidelines on Non-Ionizing Radiation
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Over the years, and especially in recent decades, there has been a growing need for recommendations and guidelines, in order to enable optimal use emerging technologies, while safeguarding public health.
The increased need is due to the widespread use of non-ionizing radiation all over the world, and the lack of scientific certainty regarding the possible health effects of exposure to radiation.
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A number of international organizations are engaged in setting exposure limit guidelines. These guidelines are based on the accumulated scientific knowledge concerning the possible health effects of exposure to non-ionizing radiation, on the physical properties of these radiation-emitting sources, and on the exposure levels resulting from the operation of these sources.
The following is a list of the principal organizations that are involved in establishing international guidelines and regulations for limiting exposure of the general public and of workers to non-ionizing radiation.
- WHO: World Health Organization
- ILO: International Labor Organization
- ICNIRP International Commission on Non Ionizing Radiation Protection.
- European Union: Recommendation on EMF Public exposures (July 1999/519) (recommendations on applying the precautionary principle)
- IEEE: The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers[TA1]
- ICES: international Committee on Electromagnetic[TA2]
- ACGIH: American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists
Most countries have adopted the guidelines and regulations as recommended by the organizations mentioned above. Some of them have formed independent policies (stricter or more lenient than the international recommendations).
The International EMF project of the WHO promotes collaboration between countries in an effort to formulate a uniform global policy to protect the public from non-ionizing radiation.
