Optical radiation, wavelengths ranges. 

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... copiers and scanners, LED for lighting and signaling. However for these sources the exposure times (sometimes far higher to the standard working day of eight hours) and the values of illuminance higher then the reference values may require a careful risk assessment arising from AOR [2, 5-6]. Electromagnetic radiation in the wavelengths range between (approx.) 100 nm and 1 mm is commonly known as “optical radiation” [1, 3, 7 -11]. The spectrum of optical radiation is divided into ultraviolet radiation (UV), visible light (VIS) and infrared radiation (IR), see Fig. 1. Optical radiation of wavelengths range between 100 nm and 400 nm is referred to as “ultraviolet” (UV); the UV region is divided into UVA (315÷400 nm), UVB (280÷315 nm) and UVC (100÷280 nm). Optical radiation of wavelengths range between 780 nm and 1 mm is referred to as “infrared” (IR); the IR region is divided into IRA (780÷1400 nm), IRB (1400÷3000 nm) and IRC (3000 nm÷1 mm). Optical radiation of wavelengths range between 380 nm and 780 nm is referred to as “visible light” (VIS) or more simply “light” and it is widely studied in lighting applications. The wavelengths range of interest for AOR risk assessment is between 180 nm and 3000 nm, the wavelengths ranges of UVC (in part) and IRC, indicated as “far” ranges from the visible light, are therefore excluded. Within the range 180÷3000 nm, special attention must be paid in the range 300÷700 nm (named “blue light”), where the most of visible light, all the UVA radiation and a portion of the UVB radiation are included. The content of the European Directive [1] has been fully taken up by the Italian legislation [3]. In particular the European Directive [1] has been acknowledged with the “Legge Comunitaria 2006” (Law n.13 of 6 February 2007: “Disposizioni per l’adempimento di obblighi derivanti da ll’appartenenza dell’Italia alla Comunità Europea ”) and subsequently adopted by DLG81 [3]. On international level it was considered necessary to introduce measures protecting workers from the risks arising from optical radiation, owing to its effects on the health and safety of workers, in particular damage to the eyes and to the skin (see Tab.1). In cases in which the workers are exposed to artificial sources of optical radiation, the employer shall assess and (if necessary) measure and/or calculate the maximum exposure levels to which workers are likely to be exposed, evaluating moreover the needed actions to restrict exposure down to the pertinent ...