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Proposal and practicality of an alternative blue-light hazard risk assessment method for high-intensity white-light sources at workplaces.

Stefan BauerMaxime BergetMassimo BorraDamien BrissingerMartin BroseSteffen GörlichWerner HalbritterTimo HeepenstrickMarco JanßenEmmerich KitzJacek M KubicaMarta ŁowcewiczMichele MarroAndrea MilitelloMarcin PelkoAndrzej RybczyńskiMarko WeberAgnieszka Wolska
Published in: International journal of occupational safety and ergonomics : JOSE (2024)
Objectives . It is prescribed to determine blue-light hazard (BLH) weighted radiances, L B , for an assessment of spotlights with an angular subtense α ≥ 11 mrad . The BLH weighted irradiance, E B , can be used alternatively for smaller sources. Appropriate instruments are not common among persons commissioned with risk assessment (RA), and especially L B measurements may be challenging. Therefore, a practical BLH RA approach is proposed that is based on illuminance, E v , pre-calculated blackbody BLH efficacies of luminous radiation, K B,v Planck , and solid angle considerations. Methods . The practicality of this method was examined and compared against other RA approaches. Results . To ensure comparability of the applied instruments, measurements were performed close to a radiance standard, showing deviations within the lamp's expanded uncertainties ( < 4 % ), whereas the deviations were ± 15 % for longer distances. Focusing on a complex light-emitting diode (LED) spotlight, all detected values could be converted to L B by means of the RA methods within ± 20 % . Two field tests with several spotlights yielded maximum permissible exposure durations (MPED) obtained from the different RA approaches that agreed among each other within uncertainties largely below ± 30 % . Conclusion . The general practicality of the proposed E v method can be concluded for a workplace BLH RA of white-light sources.
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