Worker Safety Issues of Wi‐Fi Devices

The proliferation of wireless-based sensors, each of which is transmitting electromagnetic energy at a certain Power Density, and new protocols such a Bluetooth, Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), and cellular Long-Term Evolution (LTE), and new Wi-Fi standards (802.11n, 802.11a) continue to be added to the radiated Radio Frequency (RF) Spectrum. Radio Frequency Electromagnetic Field (RF-EMF) exposure certainly occurs from the use of these additional protocols from the use of various RF-enabled sensors, e.g., the New Jersey Department of Transportation has Bluetooth devices used to collect data for travel times on state roadway systems and these data are used to transmit accurate real-time information to the motoring public. During the repair of these Bluetooth transmitters, the specific questions are: (1) What are the health risks to the employee? (2) What steps can be taken to mitigate any risks from RF transmitted sources? New research beyond the second generation (2G) and 3G cellular risks need to be performed related to these two questions as Bluetooth, Bluetooth LE, and other 801.11 standards are in production. Therefore, there is a need to understand the effects of this exposure on worker health and safety and how to mitigate any negative effects it may have.

• Record URL:
  http://www.utrc2.org/research/projects/worker-safety-issues-wi%E2%80%90fi-devices

Language

• English

Project

• Status: Completed
• Funding: $177200
• Contract Numbers:

  49198-39-27

  75144-02-27

• Sponsor Organizations:

  Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology

  University Transportation Centers Program
  Department of Transportation
  Washington, DC  United States  20590

  University Transportation Research Center

  City College of New York
  Marshak Hall, Suite 910, 160 Convent Avenue
  New York, NY  United States  10031
• Project Managers:

  Eickemeyer, Penny

• Performing Organizations:

  The College of New Jersey

  Ewing Township,   United States 
• Principal Investigators:

  Brennan, Thomas

  Katz, Allen

  Jesson, Joseph

• Start Date: 20150701
• Expected Completion Date: 20170330
• Actual Completion Date: 0

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Bluetooth technology; Electromagnetic devices; Occupational safety; Radio frequency; Real time information; Sensors; Traffic data; Travel time; Wireless communication systems
• Identifier Terms: New Jersey Department of Transportation
• Subject Areas: Data and Information Technology; Highways; Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01584071
• Record Type: Research project
• Source Agency: University Transportation Research Center
• Contract Numbers: 49198-39-27, 75144-02-27
• Files: UTC, RIP
• Created Date: Dec 27 2015 12:33PM