ANSI/IEEE C95.1: Standard for Safety Levels with Respect to Human Exposure to Radio Frequency Electromagnetic Fields, 3 kHz to 300 GHz

ANSI/IEEE C95.1:2019 offers safety limits for the protection of persons against the established adverse health effects of exposures to electric, magnetic, and electromagnetic fields in the frequency range 0 Hz to 300 GHz are presented in this standard.

ANSI/IEEE C95.1:2019 sets these exposure limits as intended to apply generally to persons permitted in restricted environments and to the general public in unrestricted environments. These exposure limits are not intended to apply to the exposure of patients by or under the direction of physicians and medical professionals, as well as to the exposure of informed volunteers in medical or scientific research studies, and might not be protective with respect to the use of medical devices or implants.

Compliance with IEEE C95.1:2019

In 2019 the IEEE updated the exposure reference levels (ERL), previously called maximum permissible expose (MPE). The ERL for unrestricted tier (lower tier) remain the same as in IEEE Std C95.1:2005. But the upper tier whole-body exposure ERLs above 300 MHz are different from those in IEEE Std C95.1:2005 to maintain a consistent 5× factor between tiers and to harmonize with ICNIRP guidelines.

Per the chart below, the 2019 standard is significantly more stringent than the former 2005 standard, especially for frequencies above 2 GHz. As such, if you are using Narda Safety Test Solutions Shaped Response instruments that use the older IEEE C95.1:2005 “Shaping” for conducting RF Compliance measurements, you may exceed the ERL (MPE Limits) by a factor of two.



Narda Safety Test Solutions has a full line of “Shaped Response” instruments which complies with the IEEE C95.1:2019 exposure reference levels (ERL).
 

Previous IEEE C95.1:2005 Standard

The ANSI/IEEE C95.1:2019 test standard supersedes the previous C95.1:2005 standard.

ANSI/IEEE C95.1:2005 offers recommendations to prevent harmful effects in human beings exposed to electromagnetic fields in the frequency range form 3 kHz to 300 GHz. ANSI/IEEE C95.1:2005 is intended to apply to exposures in controlled, as well as uncontrolled, environments. ANSI/IEEE C95.1:2005 is not intended to apply to the purposeful exposure of patients by, or under the direction of, practitioners of the healing arts. The recommendations at 300 GHZ are compatible with existing recommendations on safe exposure in the infrared frequency range (starting at 300 GHz).