EN ISO 15858:2016

UV-C Devices - Safety information - Permissible human exposure (ISO 15858:2016)

ISO 15858:2016 specifies minimum human safety requirements for the use of UVC lamp devices.
It is applicable to in-duct UVC systems, upper-air in room UVC systems, portable in-room disinfection UVC devices, and any other UVC devices which may cause UVC exposure to humans.
It is not applicable to UVC products used for water disinfection.

UV-C Einrichtungen - Sicherheitsinformationen - Zulässige Exposition von Personen (ISO 15858:2016)

Diese Internationale Norm legt Mindestanforderungen an die Sicherheit von Personen bei der Verwendung von UV-C Lampen fest.
Sie gilt für UV-C Systeme in Luftleitungen, UV-C Systeme zur Desinfektion des oberen Luftraums, tragbare UV-C Einrichtungen zur Desinfektion in Innenräumen und für alle anderen UV-C Einrichtungen, die eine UV-C Exposition für Menschen verursachen können.
Sie gilt nicht für UV-C Produkte, die zur Wasserdesinfektion verwendet werden.

Appareil UV-C - Information sur la sécurité - Limites admissibles pour l'exposition humaine (ISO 15858:2016)

L'ISO 15858 :2016 spécifie les prescriptions minimales de sécurité des personnes s'appliquant à l'utilisation des lampes UVC.
Elle est applicable aux systèmes UVC en conduit, aux systèmes UVC d'air supérieur, aux dispositifs UVC de désinfection portables et à tout autre dispositif UVC pouvant entraîner une exposition des personnes aux UVC.
Elle n'est pas applicable aux produits UVC utilisés pour la désinfection de l'eau.

UV-C-naprave - Varnostne zahteve - Dovoljena izpostavljenost ljudi (ISO 15858:2016)

Ta mednarodni standard določa minimalne zahteve za varnost ljudi pri uporabi  svetilnih naprav UVC.
Uporablja se za sisteme UVC v vodnih enotah, sisteme UVC za razkuževanje zraka v zgornjem delu prostorov, prenosne  naprave UVC za razkuževanje prostorov in katere koli druge naprave UVC, pri katerih lahko pride do izpostavljenosti ljudi sevanju UVC.
Standard se ne uporablja za proizvode UVC, namenjene za razkuževanje vode.

General Information

• Status: Published
• Publication Date: 09-Aug-2016
• Withdrawal Date: 27-Feb-2017
• ICS: 91.140.30 - Ventilation and air-conditioning systems
• Technical Committee: CEN/TC 195 - Air filters for general air cleaning
• Drafting Committee: CEN/TC 195/WG 1 - Particulate air filters for general ventilation
• Current Stage: 6060 - Definitive text made available (DAV) - Publishing
• Start Date: 10-Aug-2016
• Completion Date: 10-Aug-2016
• Ref Project: SIST EN ISO 15858:2016 - UV-C Devices - Safety information - Permissible human exposure (ISO 15858:2016)

Relations

• Revised: prEN ISO 15858 - UV-C Devices - Safety information - Permissible human exposure (ISO/DIS 15858:2025)
• Effective Date: 18-May-2022

Overview

EN ISO 15858:2016 (ISO 15858:2016) - titled "UV‑C Devices - Safety information - Permissible human exposure" - establishes minimum human‑safety requirements for the use of UVC lamp devices. The standard covers a broad range of ultraviolet‑C (UVC) applications including in‑duct UVC systems, upper‑air in‑room UVC systems, and portable in‑room disinfection UVC devices. It is explicitly not applicable to UVC products used for water disinfection. The document defines key terms, exposure sources, measurement methods, exposure limits, and recommendations for personal protective equipment (PPE) and training.

Key topics and requirements

• Scope and definitions: Clear terminology for UVC, UVGI (commonly 253.7 nm), irradiance, fluence rate, UV dose, permissible exposure time (PET), photokeratitis, erythema and related terms.
• Sources of exposure: Classification of typical UVC devices (in‑duct, upper‑air, portable) and how installation context affects human exposure risk.
• Measurement and assessment: Guidance on radiometric measurement of UVC irradiance and fluence using radiometers and established measurement procedures.
• Exposure limits and PET: Framework for calculating permissible exposure time for unprotected eyes and skin relative to recognized exposure guidelines (references include NIOSH REL and ACGIH TLV concepts; the standard provides how to apply these when assessing UVC devices).
• Controls and PPE: Recommendations for personal protective equipment (eye and skin protection complying with EN 170 where relevant), engineering controls (louvers, shielding, interlocks), warning signage and access restrictions.
• Training and information: Requirements for personnel safety training, labeling and safety information to minimize accidental exposure.
• Normative references: Includes EN 170 (ultraviolet filters - eye protection) and EN 14255‑1 (measurement of personal exposure to ultraviolet radiation).

Applications and stakeholders

EN ISO 15858:2016 is practical guidance for:

• Manufacturers of UV‑C devices designing safe fixtures and labels
• HVAC and building services engineers specifying in‑duct and upper‑air UVGI systems
• Facility managers and infection‑control teams deploying portable or fixed UVC disinfection
• Health & safety officers and installers responsible for risk assessment, PPE selection and staff training
• Test laboratories and compliance bodies measuring irradiance and verifying PET calculations

Using this standard helps reduce acute ocular and skin risks (e.g., photokeratitis, erythema), ensures appropriate signage and PPE, and supports compliant deployment of UVC disinfection technologies.

Related standards

• EN 170 - Personal eye‑protection - Ultraviolet filters
• EN 14255‑1 - Measurement and assessment of personal exposures to ultraviolet radiation
• ACGIH/NIOSH exposure guidance (informative references cited in ISO 15858 for exposure limits)

Keywords: EN ISO 15858:2016, ISO 15858:2016, UV‑C devices, UVC safety, permissible human exposure, UVGI, in‑duct UVC, upper‑air UVC, portable in‑room UVC, irradiance, PPE.

Standards Content (Sample)

SLOVENSKI STANDARD
01-oktober-2016
UV-C-naprave - Varnostne zahteve - Dovoljena izpostavljenost ljudi (ISO
15858:2016)
UV-C Devices - Safety information - Permissible human exposure (ISO 15858:2016)
UV-C Einrichtungen - Sicherheitsinformationen - Zulässige Exposition von Personen
(ISO 15858:2016)
Appareil UV-C - Information sur la sécurité - Limites admissibles pour l'exposition
humaine (ISO 15858:2016)
Ta slovenski standard je istoveten z: EN ISO 15858:2016
ICS:
13.280 Varstvo pred sevanjem Radiation protection
2003-01.Slovenski inštitut za standardizacijo. Razmnoževanje celote ali delov tega standarda ni dovoljeno.

EN ISO 15858
EUROPEAN STANDARD
NORME EUROPÉENNE
August 2016
EUROPÄISCHE NORM
ICS 91.140.30
English Version
UV-C Devices - Safety information - Permissible human
exposure (ISO 15858:2016)
Appareil UV-C - Information sur la sécurité - Limites UV-C Einrichtungen - Sicherheitsinformationen -
admissibles pour l'exposition humaine (ISO Zulässige Exposition von Personen (ISO 15858:2016)
15858:2016)
This European Standard was approved by CEN on 5 May 2016.

CEN members are bound to comply with the CEN/CENELEC Internal Regulations which stipulate the conditions for giving this
European Standard the status of a national standard without any alteration. Up-to-date lists and bibliographical references
concerning such national standards may be obtained on application to the CEN-CENELEC Management Centre or to any CEN
member.
This European Standard exists in three official versions (English, French, German). A version in any other language made by
translation under the responsibility of a CEN member into its own language and notified to the CEN-CENELEC Management
Centre has the same status as the official versions.

CEN members are the national standards bodies of Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia,
Finland, Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania,
Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey and
United Kingdom.
EUROPEAN COMMITTEE FOR STANDARDIZATION
COMITÉ EUROPÉEN DE NORMALISATION

EUROPÄISCHES KOMITEE FÜR NORMUNG

CEN-CENELEC Management Centre: Avenue Marnix 17, B-1000 Brussels
© 2016 CEN All rights of exploitation in any form and by any means reserved Ref. No. EN ISO 15858:2016 E
worldwide for CEN national Members.

Contents Page
European foreword . 3

European foreword
This document (EN ISO 15858:2016) has been prepared by Technical Committee ISO/TC 142 “Cleaning
equipment for air and other gases” in collaboration with Technical Committee CEN/TC 195 “Air filters
for general air cleaning” the secretariat of which is held by UNI.
This European Standard shall be given the status of a national standard, either by publication of an
identical text or by endorsement, at the latest by February 2017, and conflicting national standards
shall be withdrawn at the latest by February 2017.
Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this document may be the subject of
patent rights. CEN [and/or CENELEC] shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent
rights.
According to the CEN-CENELEC Internal Regulations, the national standards organizations of the
following countries are bound to implement this European Standard: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria,
Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia,
France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta,
Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland,
Turkey and the United Kingdom.
Endorsement notice
The text of ISO 15858:2016 has been approved by CEN as EN ISO 15858:2016 without any modification.

INTERNATIONAL ISO
STANDARD 15858
First edition
2016-07-15
UV-C Devices — Safety information —
Permissible human exposure
Dispositifs UV-C — Information sur la sécurité — Limites admissibles
pour l’exposition humaine
Reference number
ISO 15858:2016(E)
©
ISO 2016
ISO 15858:2016(E)
© ISO 2016, Published in Switzerland
All rights reserved. Unless otherwise specified, no part of this publication may be reproduced or utilized otherwise in any form
or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, or posting on the internet or an intranet, without prior
written permission. Permission can be requested from either ISO at the address below or ISO’s member body in the country of
the requester.
ISO copyright office
Ch. de Blandonnet 8 • CP 401
CH-1214 Vernier, Geneva, Switzerland
Tel. [phone]
Fax [phone]
[e-mail]
www.iso.org
ii © ISO 2016 – All rights reserved

ISO 15858:2016(E)
Contents Page
Foreword .iv
Introduction .v
1 Scope . 1
2 Normative references . 1
3 Terms and definitions . 1
4 Sources of UVC exposure . 4
4.1 General . 4
4.2 UVC energy penetration . 4
4.3 UVC radiation measurement . 4
4.4 Measuring Threshold Limit Values . 4
5 Exposure limits to UVC . 5
5.1 General information . 5
5.2 Maximum permissible UVC exposure . 5
5.3 Personal protective equipment. 5
5.4 Personnel safety training . 6
Bibliography . 7
ISO 15858:2016(E)
Foreword
ISO (the International Organization for Standardization) is a worldwide federation of national standards
bodies (ISO member bodies). The work of preparing International Standards is normally carried out
through ISO technical committees. Each member body interested in a subject for which a technical
committee has been established has the right to be represented on that committee. International
organizations, governmental and non-governmental, in liaison with ISO, also take part in the work.
ISO collaborates closely with the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) on all matters of
electrotechnical standardization.
The procedures used to develop this document and those intended for its further maintenance are
described in the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 1. In particular the different approval criteria needed for the
different types of ISO documents should be noted. This document was drafted in accordance with the
editorial rules of the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 2 (see www.iso.org/directives).
Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this document may be the subject of
patent rights. ISO shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights. Details of
any patent rights identified during the development of the document will be in the Introduction and/or
on the ISO list of patent declarations received (see www.iso.org/patents).
Any trade name used in this document is information given for the convenience of users and does not
constitute an endorsement.
For an explanation on the meaning of ISO specific terms and expressions related to conformity
assessment, as well as information about ISO’s adherence to the WTO principles in the Technical
Barriers to Trade (TBT) see the following URL: Foreword - Supplementary information
The committee responsible for this document is ISO/TC 142, Cleaning equipment for air and other gases.
iv © ISO 2016 – All rights reserved

ISO 15858:2016(E)
Introduction
This International Standard was developed in response to a worldwide demand for minimum
specifications on UVC safety for products and equipment utilizing UVC lamp fixtures. In this
International Standard, when it comes to personal damage of UV disinfection, the whole UVC band range
is more likely to be included. As for lamps of product equipment, UVC prefers to the 254 nm wavelength.
UVC radiation is a low-penetrating form of UV as compared to UVA or UVB radiation. Measurements
of human tissue show that 4 % to 7 % of UVC radiation, along with a wide range of wavelengths from
[6]
250 nm to 400 nm, is reflected and absorbed in the first 2 µm of the stratum corneum. Hence, the
[7]
amount of UVC transmitted through the epidermis is minimized.
UVC radiation is invisible to humans and exposure to UVC radiation may have an effect on health.
Ocular damage generally begins with photokeratitis but can also result in photokeratoconjunctivitis.
Symptoms, which may not be evident until several hours after exposure, can include an abrupt
sensation comparable to sand in eyes, tearing, and eye pain of various degrees. Such symptoms may
appear within 1 h to 12 h after UVC exposure and resolve fully within 24 h to 48 h. Acute overexposure
to UVC band radiation may cause incapacity due to eye discomfort, but this generally regresses after
several days, leaving no permanent damage.
Cutaneous damage consists of erythema, a reddening of the skin akin to sunburn but without tanning.
The maximum effect of erythema occurs at a wavelength of 297 nm in the UVB band. UVC radiation at
a wavelength of 254 nm is less effective in causing erythema. Therefore, the areas subject to exposure
should be marked. Warning signs should be placed in certain locations to protect personnel or passers-
by from UV hazards. Appropriate locations include access doors, air handling unit outside walls,
equipment room doors, etc.
The International Commission on Illumination (CIE) 2010 completed a review of UVC photocarcinogenesis
risks from germicidal lamps using basic biophysical principles due to the attenuation provided by the
stratum corneum and epithelial t
...