UV light can be found throughout most workplaces, used for a range of inspection, disinfection and curing applications. And while some exposure to natural UV light has health benefits like vitamin D production, overexposure from both natural and artificial sources can harm both your skin and eyes.
To help protect workers, there statutory exposure limits in place, which if exceeded, put workers at risk and constitutes a regulatory offence.
Understanding and adhering to these limits is key to staying safe and compliant.
Statutory UV light exposure limits
The International Commission of Non-Ionising Radiation Protection published exposure limit values (ELVs), which should not be exceeded within an 8-hour period per day. They are designed to protect workers from the acute effects and reduce the risk of long term issues and are as follows:
30 J/m² = Effective UV Dose for the unprotected skin and eyes
This is the daily (8-hour) limit for the parts of your body most sensitive to UV your skin and eyes. Exceeding this limit can lead to acute damage, such as burns or temporary eye discomfort. Protective measures like shields, PPE, and careful monitoring help keep exposure below this threshold.
This limit covers all UV wavelengths from 180 – 400 nm, with 270 nm having the shortest exposure limit at 30 J/m² and other wavelengths having a spectral weighting applied.
10,000 J/m² = UV-A light for the unprotected eyes
This limit focuses specifically on UV-A (315 – 400 nm) radiation reaching the eyes. The purpose is to reduce long-term risks, particularly cataract formation. Even if you don’t notice immediate effects, repeated overexposure to UV-A can quietly accumulate damage over time. Where UV processes operating UV-A equipment, this will be more restrictive than the effective UV limit at 30 J/m².
How do you know if the limits are exceeded?
Over exposure to shorter UV-B (280 – 315 nm) or UV-C (180 – 400 nm) wavelengths typically results in short term issues such as erythema (sun burn) and photo keratoconjunctivitis (inflammation of the cornea and conjunctiva). Although not instant, these usually occur within a few hours of the exposure limits being exceeded. Whilst they typically only last a matter of days, they can be extremely unpleasant, but at least you can put measures in place to prevent it from happening again.
Over exposure to longer UV-A wavelengths (315 – 400 nm) often goes undetected, increasing the risk of long term issues like skin ageing, skin cancer, ocular melanoma and cataracts. In many cases we come across, organisations are unaware of the levels of UV-A employees are being exposed to, potentially putting them at risk. Some processes such as non-destructive testing see workers spending several hours a day working with or under UV-A inspection equipment.
European Directive 2006/25/EC requires employers to reduce personal exposure as low as reasonably practicable, ensuring the ELVs are not exceeded. In the UK, the Directive was brought into law under the Control of Artificial Optical Radiation at Work Regulations 2010.
Measuring and assessing personal UV light exposure
If workers are exposed to UV as part of their work, personal exposure should be measured, assessed, and compared to the statutory exposure limits. Most organisations do not have UV specialists in house, and therefore lack the tools and experience required to complete what can be a complex task.
UV light hazard meters need to be used, taking into account all wavelengths present (as UV lamps do not operate at a single wavelength), applying a spectral weighting function (some wavelengths are more harmful than others) and correction factors applied to account for differences between the ELVs and the spectral response of the UV light meter.
It is particularly important where employees exposed to UV from multiple sources, processes, positions and longer periods, though it is absolutely possible to exceed the ELVs in minutes or even seconds depending on the wavelengths present and measured irradiance levels. Only when personal exposure has been assessed, can it be compared to the statutory exposure limits as a means of assessing risk and controls.
Our team have been providing organisations with UV risk management training and onsite measurement and assessment services for almost 20 years.
The Directive and Regulations also state that employees should be provided with specific information and training relating to the outcome of the assessment, including exposure levels, control measures in place to prevent acute health effects and reduce the long term risks.
Some organisations assume that just by wearing UV safety glasses, or a lack of short term issues means they are doing enough when in reality the exposure levels and safety of employees remain unknown.
UV exposure limits exist for a reason, they help prevent immediate issues and reduce the long term risks from cumulative lifetime exposure.
If you’d like to learn more about the health effects, exposure limits and your legal obligations to protect workers, please call us on 01564 200 826, contact us via our website, or register for a free UV safety in the workplace webinar.