EN IEC 62311:2020

Assessment of electronic and electrical equipment related to human exposure restrictions for electromagnetic fields (0 Hz to 300 GHz)

IEC 62311:2019 applies to electronic and electrical equipment for which no dedicated product standard or product family standard regarding human exposure to electromagnetic fields applies. It covers equipment with intentional or non-intentional radiators as well as a combination thereof. This document provides assessment methods and criteria to evaluate equipment against limits on exposure of people related to electric, magnetic and electromagnetic fields. The frequency range covered is from 0 Hz to 300 GHz. This second edition cancels and replaces the first edition published in 2007. This edition constitutes a technical revision. This document does not specify limits expressed by means of basic restrictions and/or reference levels. Such limits are subject to the applied assessment scheme, for example by means of regional limits. This edition includes the following significant technical changes with respect to the previous edition: a) a clear distinction between intentional and unintentional radiators has been introduced; b) the exposure to non-uniform fields is considered; c) the treatment of uncertainty for the assessment procedures has been improved; d) various summation regimes are described in Annex A; e) the information from meanwhile published basic standards has been used and hence all informative annexes of the previous edition have been removed. Key words: Human Exposure, Electromagnetic Fields (0 Hz to 300 GHz).

Bewertung von elektrischen und elektronischen Einrichtungen in Bezug auf Begrenzungen der Exposition von Personen in elektromagnetischen Feldern (0 Hz bis 300 GHz)

Évaluation des équipements électroniques et électriques en relation avec les restrictions d'exposition humaine aux champs électromagnétiques (0 Hz à 300 GHz)

IEC 62311:2019 s’applique aux équipements électroniques et électriques auxquels aucune norme concernant l'exposition humaine aux champs électromagnétiques, dédiée à un produit ou à une famille de produits, ne s'applique. Il couvre les équipements à émetteurs intentionnels ou non intentionnels ainsi qu’une combinaison de ceux-ci. Le présent document fournit des méthodes et des critères d’évaluation pour démontrer que les équipements satisfont aux limites d’exposition des personnes aux champs électriques, magnétiques et électromagnétiques. La plage de fréquences couverte s’étend de 0 Hz à 300 GHz. Cette deuxième édition annule et remplace la première édition parue en 2007. Cette édition constitue une révision technique. Le présent document ne spécifie pas de limites d’exposition, ni sous la forme de restrictions de base ni sous la forme de niveaux de référence. Ces limites, exprimées par exemple sous forme de limites régionales, sont soumises au système d’évaluation appliqué. Cette édition inclut les modifications techniques majeures suivantes par rapport à l'édition précédente: a) une distinction claire a été faite entre les émetteurs intentionnels et non intentionnels; b) l’exposition à des champs non uniformes est prise en considération; c) le traitement de l’incertitude des procédures d’évaluation a été amélioré; d) différents régimes de sommation sont décrits dans l'Annexe A; e) les informations présentes dans des normes de base publiées entre-temps ont été utilisées, ce qui explique la suppression de toutes les annexes informatives de l’édition précédente. Mots clés: exposition humaine, champs électromagnétiques (0 Hz à 300 GHz)

Ocena elektronske in električne opreme glede omejevanja izpostavljenosti ljudi elektromagnetnim sevanjem (0 Hz - 300 GHz)

General Information

• Status: Published
• Publication Date: 23-Jan-2020
• Withdrawal Date: 23-Jan-2023
• ICS: 97.030 - Domestic electrical appliances in general
• Technical Committee: CLC/TC 106X - Electromagnetic fields in the human environment
• Drafting Committee: IEC/TC 106 - IEC_TC_106
• Current Stage: 6060 - Document made available - Publishing
• Start Date: 24-Jan-2020
• Completion Date: 24-Jan-2020
• Directive: 2014/35/EU - Directive 2014/35/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 26 February 2014 on the harmonisation of the laws of the Member States relating to the making available on the market of electrical equipment designed for use within certain voltage limits
• Directive: 2014/53/EU - Directive 2014/53/EU of The European Parliament and of the Council of 16 April 2014 on the harmonisation of the laws of the Member States relating to the making available on the market of radio equipment and repealing Directive 1999/5/EC
• Ref Project: SIST EN IEC 62311:2020 - Assessment of electronic and electrical equipment related to human exposure restrictions for electromagnetic fields (0 Hz - 300 GHz)

Relations

• Replaces: EN 62311:2008 - Assessment of electronic and electrical equipment related to human exposure restrictions for electromagnetic fields (0 Hz - 300 GHz)
• Effective Date: 27-Dec-2016

Overview

EN IEC 62311:2020 (IEC 62311:2019 adopted by CLC) defines assessment methods for evaluating human exposure to electromagnetic fields (0 Hz to 300 GHz) from electronic and electrical equipment for which no product-specific human‑exposure standard exists. It covers both intentional radiators (designed to emit RF) and unintentional radiators, and provides procedures, criteria and reporting requirements to assess compliance with applicable exposure limits (note: the standard itself does not set numerical exposure limits - those are applied from regional/basic standards or regulatory schemes).

Key topics

• Scope and applicability: Equipment without dedicated product-family EMF standards; frequency range 0 Hz–300 GHz.
• Assessment methods: Multiple assessment options are described (see Table 1 and the assessment flowchart, Figure 1) to select measurements, calculations or combinations appropriate to the equipment.
• Intentional vs unintentional radiators: Clear distinction introduced to guide choice of methods and assessment boundaries.
• Non‑uniform fields: Procedures for assessing exposure where fields vary spatially around equipment.
• Uncertainty treatment: Improved guidance for quantifying and incorporating measurement/model uncertainty into compliance decisions.
• Multiple frequencies and summation regimes: Guidance for sources with multiple frequency components and for combining exposures (Annex A includes ICNIRP and IEEE summation approaches).
• Compliance evaluation and reporting: Criteria for determining compliance to limits, required content of an assessment report and product documentation (including external-antenna cases).

Practical applications

• Performing EMF safety assessments for consumer, industrial and medical equipment not covered by other product standards.
• Supporting CE/UKCA/other regional compliance processes by demonstrating conformity with applicable human‑exposure limits.
• Guiding design changes to reduce user/worker exposure during product development (e.g., layout, shielding, antenna placement).
• Preparing test-lab reports and manufacturer technical files: method selection, uncertainty analysis and documented conclusions.
• Informing risk assessments where fields are non‑uniform or where multiple transmitters coexist.

Who uses this standard

• Product manufacturers and design engineers of electronic/electrical equipment
• EMC/EMF test laboratories and accredited measurement bodies
• Compliance and safety engineers preparing regulatory dossiers
• Certification bodies and regulators assessing human‑exposure claims

Related standards

• IEC 62232 (RF field strength and SAR near base stations)
• IEC 62209-1 / IEC 62209-2 (SAR measurement methods)
• ISO/IEC 17025 (laboratory competence)
• CISPR/EN 55032 (radiated emission techniques)

EN IEC 62311:2020 is a practical, method-focused standard for evaluating EMF human‑exposure performance across a very broad frequency range and a wide variety of equipment types.

Standards Content (Sample)

SLOVENSKI STANDARD
01-maj-2020
Nadomešča:
SIST EN 62311:2008
Ocena elektronske in električne opreme glede omejevanja izpostavljenosti ljudi
elektromagnetnim sevanjem (0 Hz - 300 GHz)
Assessment of electronic and electrical equipment related to human exposure
restrictions for electromagnetic fields (0 Hz - 300 GHz)
Bewertung von elektrischen und elektronischen Einrichtungen in Bezug auf
Begrenzungen der Exposition von Personen in elektromagnetischen Feldern (0 Hz - 300
GHz)
Evaluation des équipements électroniques et électriques en relation avec les restrictions
d'exposition humaine aux champs électromagnétiques (0 Hz - 300 GHz)
Ta slovenski standard je istoveten z: EN IEC 62311:2020
ICS:
13.280 Varstvo pred sevanjem Radiation protection
2003-01.Slovenski inštitut za standardizacijo. Razmnoževanje celote ali delov tega standarda ni dovoljeno.

EUROPEAN STANDARD EN IEC 62311

NORME EUROPÉENNE
EUROPÄISCHE NORM
January 2020
ICS 97.030 Supersedes EN 62311:2008 and all of its amendments
and corrigenda (if any)
English Version
Assessment of electronic and electrical equipment related to
human exposure restrictions for electromagnetic fields (0 Hz to
300 GHz)
(IEC 62311:2019)
Évaluation des équipements électroniques et électriques en Bewertung von elektrischen und elektronischen
relation avec les restrictions d'exposition humaine aux Einrichtungen in Bezug auf Begrenzungen der Exposition
champs électromagnétiques (0 Hz à 300 GHz) von Personen in elektromagnetischen Feldern (0 Hz - 300
(IEC 62311:2019) GHz)
(IEC 62311:2019)
This European Standard was approved by CENELEC on 2019-05-23. CENELEC 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 CENELEC 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 CENELEC member into its own language and notified to the CEN-CENELEC Management Centre has the
same status as the official versions.
CENELEC members are the national electrotechnical committees of Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, the Czech Republic,
Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the
Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Republic of North Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland,
Turkey and the United Kingdom.

European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardization
Comité Européen de Normalisation Electrotechnique
Europäisches Komitee für Elektrotechnische Normung
CEN-CENELEC Management Centre: Rue de la Science 23, B-1040 Brussels
© 2020 CENELEC All rights of exploitation in any form and by any means reserved worldwide for CENELEC Members.
Ref. No. EN IEC 62311:2020 E
European foreword
The text of document 106/480/FDIS, future edition 2 of IEC 62311, prepared by IEC/TC 106 "Methods
for the assessment of electric, magnetic and electromagnetic fields associated with human exposure"
was submitted to the IEC-CENELEC parallel vote and approved by CENELEC as
The following dates are fixed:
• latest date by which the document has to be implemented at national (dop) 2020-07-24
level by publication of an identical national standard or by endorsement
• latest date by which the national standards conflicting with the (dow) 2023-01-24
document have to be withdrawn
This document supersedes EN 62311:2008 and all of its amendments and corrigenda (if any).
Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this document may be the subject of
patent rights. CENELEC shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights.

Endorsement notice
The text of the International Standard IEC 62311:2019 was approved by CENELEC as a European
Standard without any modification.

In the official version, for Bibliography, the following notes have to be added for the standards
indicated:
ISO/IEC 17025 NOTE Harmonized as EN ISO/IEC 17025
CISPR 32 NOTE Harmonized as EN 55032
IEC 61786-1:2013 NOTE Harmonized as EN 61786-1:2014 (not modified)
IEC 62110:2009 NOTE Harmonized as EN 62110:2009/AC:2015 (not modified)
IEC 62209-1:2016 NOTE Harmonized as EN 62209-1:2016 (not modified)
IEC 62209-2:2010 NOTE Harmonized as EN 62209-2:2010 (not modified)

Annex ZA
(normative)
Normative references to international publications
with their corresponding European publications
The following documents are referred to in the text in such a way that some or all of their content
constitutes requirements of this document. For dated references, only the edition cited applies. For
undated references, the latest edition of the referenced document (including any amendments)
applies.
NOTE 1  Where an International Publication has been modified by common modifications, indicated by (mod), the relevant
EN/HD applies.
NOTE 2  Up-to-date information on the latest versions of the European Standards listed in this annex is available here:
www.cenelec.eu.
Publication Year Title EN/HD Year
IEC 60050-161 1990 International Electrotechnical Vocabulary. - -
Chapter 161: Electromagnetic compatibility
Determination of RF field strength, power
IEC 62232 2017  EN 62232 2017
density and SAR in the vicinity
ofradiocommunication base stations for the
purpose of evaluating human exposure

IEC 62311 ®
Edition 2.0 2019-04
INTERNATIONAL
STANDARD
NORME
INTERNATIONALE
colour
inside
Assessment of electronic and electrical equipment related to human exposure

restrictions for electromagnetic fields (0 Hz to 300 GHz)

Évaluation des équipements électroniques et électriques en relation avec les

restrictions d'exposition humaine aux champs électromagnétiques (0 Hz à 300 GHz)

INTERNATIONAL
ELECTROTECHNICAL
COMMISSION
COMMISSION
ELECTROTECHNIQUE
INTERNATIONALE
ICS 97.030 ISBN 978-2-8322-6763-9

– 2 – IEC 62311:2019 © IEC 2019
CONTENTS
FOREWORD . 4
1 Scope . 6
2 Normative references . 6
3 Terms, definitions and abbreviated terms . 6
3.1 Terms and definitions . 6
3.2 Abbreviated terms . 10
4 Compliance criteria . 10
5 Performance of assessments . 11
5.1 Assessment methods . 11
5.2 Frequency range under assessment for unintentional radiation . 13
5.3 General procedure for the assessment of equipment . 13
6 Uncertainty . 17
6.1 General . 17
6.2 Consideration of uncertainty for compliance . 17
7 Considerations on sources with multiple frequencies and non-uniformity of fields . 19
7.1 Sources with multiple frequencies . 19
7.2 Exposure to non-uniform fields . 19
8 Evaluation of compliance to limits . 20
9 Assessment report . 20
9.1 General . 20
9.2 Items to be recorded in the assessment report . 20
9.2.1 Assessment method . 20
9.2.2 Presentation of the results . 20
9.2.3 Equipment using external antennas . 20
10 Product documentation . 20
Annex A (informative)  Examples for summation regimes . 21
A.1 ICNIRP 1998 summation regimes . 21
A.1.1 General . 21
A.1.2 Frequency range from 1 Hz to 10 MHz (ICNIRP 1998-based) . 21
A.1.3 Frequency range from 100 kHz to 300 GHz (ICNIRP 1998-based) . 25
A.2 ICNIRP 2010 summation regimes . 26
A.2.1 General . 26
A.2.2 Frequency domain assessment – ICNIRP 2010 Guidelines . 26
A.2.3 Time domain assessment – ICNIRP 2010 Guidelines . 29
A.3 IEEE summation regimes . 31
A.3.1 General . 31
A.3.2 Frequency range from 0 kHz to 5 MHz (IEEE-based) . 31
A.3.3 Frequency range from 3 kHz to 300 GHz (IEEE-based) . 32
Bibliography . 33

Figure 1 – Assessment flowchart . 15
Figure A.1 – Schematic of “weighting circuit” . 23

IEC 62311:2019 © IEC 2019 – 3 –
Figure A.2 – Dependency on frequency of the reference levels VL plotted with
 
dVL
smoothing edges with VL(f ) = VL , VL(f ) = V and the slopes . 24
1  
c0 0 c1
df
 
n
Figure A.3 – Transfer function WL . 24
Figure A.4 – Amplitude and phase response for the weighting function WL(f) of the
magnetic field (reference level for general public exposure) . 30

Table 1 – List of possible assessment methods . 11
Table 2 – Characteristics and parameters of the equipment to be considered . 16

– 4 – IEC 62311:2019 © IEC 2019
INTERNATIONAL ELECTROTECHNICAL COMMISSION
____________
ASSESSMENT OF ELECTRONIC AND ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT
RELATED TO HUMAN EXPOSURE RESTRICTIONS
FOR ELECTROMAGNETIC FIELDS (0 Hz to 300 GHz)

FOREWORD
1) The International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) is a worldwide organization for standardization comprising
all national electrotechnical committees (IEC National Committees). The object of IEC is to promote international
co-operation on all questions concerning standardization in the electrical and electronic fields. To this end and
in addition to other activities, IEC publishes International Standards, Technical Specifications, Technical Reports,
Publicly Available Specifications (PAS) and Guides (hereafter referred to as “IEC Publication(s)”). Their
preparation is entrusted to technical committees; any IEC National Committee interested in the subject dealt with
may participate in this preparatory work. International, governmental and non-governmental organizations liaising
with the IEC also participate in this preparation. IEC collaborates closely with the International Organization for
Standardization (ISO) in accordance with conditions determined by agreement between the two organizations.
2) The formal decisions or agreements of IEC on technical matters express, as nearly as possible, an international
consensus of opinion on the relevant subjects since each technical committee has representation from all
interested IEC National Committees.
3) IEC Publications have the form of recommendations for international use and are accepted by IEC National
Committees in that sense. While all reasonable efforts are made to ensure that the technical content of IEC
Publications is accurate, IEC cannot be held responsible for the way in which they are used or for any
misinterpretation by any end user.
4) In order to promote international uniformity, IEC National Committees undertake to apply IEC Publications
transparently to the maximum extent possible in their national and regional publications. Any divergence between
any IEC Publication and the corresponding national or regional publication shall be clearly indicated in the latter.
5) IEC itself does not provide any attestation of conformity. Independent certification bodies provide conformity
assessment services and, in some areas, access to IEC marks of conformity. IEC is not responsible for any
services carried out by independent certification bodies.
6) All users should ensure that they have the latest edition of this publication.
7) No liability shall attach to IEC or its directors, employees, servants or agents including individual experts and
members of its technical committees and IEC National Committees for any personal injury, property damage or
other damage of any nature whatsoever, whether direct or indirect, or for costs (including legal fees) and
expenses arising out of the publication, use of, or reliance upon, this IEC Publication or any other IEC Publications.
8) Attention is drawn to the Normative references cited in this publication. Use of the referenced publications is
indispensable for the correct application of this publication.
9) Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this IEC Publication may be the subject of patent
rights. IEC shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights.
International Standard IEC 62311 has been prepared by IEC technical committee 106: Methods
for the assessment of electric, magnetic and electromagnetic fields associated with human
exposure.
This second edition cancels and replaces the first edition published in 2007. This edition
constitutes a technical revision.
This edition includes the following significant technical changes with respect to the previous
edition:
a) a clear distinction between intentional and unintentional radiators has been introduced;
b) the exposure to non-uniform fields is considered;
c) the treatment of uncertainty for the assessment procedures has been improved;
d) various summation regimes are described in Annex A;
e) the information from meanwhile published basic standards has been used and hence all
informative annexes of the previous edition have been removed.
The text of this International Standard is based on the following documents:

IEC 62311:2019 © IEC 2019 – 5 –
FDIS Report on voting
106/480/FDIS 106/486/RVD
Full information on the voting for the approval of this International Standard can be found in the
report on voting indicated in the above table.
This document has been drafted in accordance with the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 2.
The committee has decided that the contents of this document will remain unchanged until the
stability date indicated on the IEC website under "http://webstore.iec.ch" in the data related to
the specific document. At this date, the document will be
• reconfirmed,
• withdrawn,
• replaced by a revised edition, or
• amended.
IMPORTANT – The 'colour inside' logo on the cover page of this publication indicates
that it contains colours which are considered to be useful for the correct understanding
of its contents. Users should therefore print this document using a colour printer.

– 6 – IEC 62311:2019 © IEC 2019
ASSESSMENT OF ELECTRONIC AND ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT
RELATED TO HUMAN EXPOSURE RESTRICTIONS
FOR ELECTROMAGNETIC FIELDS (0 Hz to 300 GHz)

1 Scope
This document applies to electronic and electrical equipment for which no dedicated product
standard or product family standard regarding human exposure to electromagnetic fields applies.
It covers equipment with intentional or non-intentional radiators as well as a combination thereof.
This document provides assessment methods and criteria to evaluate equipment against limits
on exposure of people related to electric, magnetic and electromagnetic fields. The frequency
range covered is from 0 Hz to 300 GHz.
NOTE 1 Further guidance concerning the application of this document and its relationship to other EMF standards
is given in Figure 1.
This document does not specify limits expressed by means of basic restrictions and/or reference
levels. Such limits are subject to the applied assessment scheme, for example by means of
regional limits.
NOTE 2 The assessment methods and criteria to evaluate equipment against basic restrictions or reference levels
can be used with regard to either general public or occupational exposure.
2 Normative references
The following documents are referred to in the text in such a way that some or all of their content
constitutes requirements of this document. For dated references, only the edition cited applies.
For undated references, the latest edition of the referenced document (including any
amendments) applies.
IEC 60050-161:1990, International Electrotechnical Vocabulary – Chapter 161:
Electromagnetic compatibility (available at http://www.electropedia.org)
IEC 62232:2017, Determination of RF field strength, power density and SAR in the vicinity of
radiocommunication base stations for the purpose of evaluating human exposure
3 Terms, definitions and abbreviated terms
3.1 Terms and definitions
For the purposes of this document, the terms and definitions given in IEC 60050-161 and the
following apply.
ISO and IEC maintain terminological databases for use in standardization at the following
addresses:
• IEC Electropedia: available at http://www.electropedia.org/
• ISO Online browsing platform: available at http://www.iso.org/obp

IEC 62311:2019 © IEC 2019 – 7 –
3.1.1
averaging time
t
avg
appropriate time interval over which exposure
is averaged for purposes of determining compliance
3.1.2
basic restriction
restriction on exposure to time-varying electric, magnetic and electromagnetic fields that is
based directly on established health effects
Note 1 to entry: Examples of basic restrictions can be found in Annex II of the Council Recommendation
1999/519/EC [1], ICNIRP Guidelines ([2], [3]), IEEE Std C95.6 [4] and IEEE Std C95.1 [5].
3.1.3
contact current
current flowing into the body resulting from contact with a conductive object
in an electromagnetic field
Note 1 to entry: This is the localized current flow into the body (usually the hand, for a light brushing contact).
3.1.4
current density
J
current per unit cross-sectional area flowing inside the human body as a result of exposure to
electromagnetic fields
3.1.5
duty factor
ratio of pulse duration to the pulse period of a
periodic pulse train
Note 1 to entry: A duty factor can also be considered as a measure of the temporal transmission characteristic of
an intermittently transmitting RF source such as a paging antenna by dividing average transmission duration by the
average period for transmissions.
Note 2 to entry: A duty factor of 1,0 corresponds to continuous operation.
3.1.6
effective radiated power
ERP
product of the power supplied by a radio transmitter to an antenna and the gain of this antenna
relative to a half-wave dipole in a given direction
[SOURCE: IEC 60050-713:1998, 713-09-26]
3.1.7
electric field strength
E
vector field quantity E which exerts on any charged particle at rest a force F equal to the product
of E and the electric charge Q of the particle
[SOURCE: IEC 60050-121:1998, 121-11-18]
3.1.8
exposure
situation that occurs wherever a person is subjected to electric, magnetic or electromagnetic
fields
Note 1 to entry: The word “exposure” is also commonly used to mean “exposure level” (see 3.1.9).

– 8 – IEC 62311:2019 © IEC 2019
[SOURCE: IEC 62226-1:2004, 3.1.7]
3.1.9
exposure level
value of the quantity used to assess exposure
Note 1 to entry: This may be an induced current density, SAR, power density, electric or magnetic field strength, a
limb current or a contact current.
3.1.10
far-field region
region of the field of an antenna where the radial field distribution is essentially dependent
inversely on the distance from the antenna
Note 1 to entry: In the far-field region the field has a predominantly plane-wave character, i.e. locally uniform
distribution of electric field and magnetic field in planes transverse to the direction of propagation. The vectors of the
electric field and the magnetic field are perpendicular to each other and the quotient between the value of the electric
field strength E and the magnetic field strength H is constant and equals the impedance of free space Z .
3.1.11
highest internal frequency
highest fundamental frequency generated or used within the EUT, or the highest frequency at
which it operates
3.1.12
induced current
current induced inside the body as a result of exposure to electromagnetic fields
3.1.13
inherently compliant
considered to comply with a set of requirements without the need of applying an assessment
method (such as measurements or calculations)
Note 1 to entry: A set of requirements can for example be a set of exposure limits for the general public.
Note 2 to entry: Equipment that is inherently compliant with respect to a certain set of requirements (for example
exposure limits for workers) is not necessarily inherently compliant with a different set of requirements (for example
exposure limits for the general public).
3.1.14
intentional radiator
electrical or electronic equipment in which electric, magnetic or electromagnetic fields are
intentionally generated for the purpose of radio communication, radiodetermination, treatment
of material or transfer of electromagnetic energy
3.1.15
limb current
current flowing in an arm or a leg, either as a result of a contact current or else induced by an
external field
3.1.16
magnetic field strength
H
vector quantity obtained at a given point by subtracting the magnetization M from the magnetic
flux density B divided by the magnetic constant μ
[SOURCE: IEC 60050-121:1998, 121-11-56, modified – The notes have been deleted.]

IEC 62311:2019 © IEC 2019 – 9 –
3.1.17
magnetic flux density
B
vector field quantity B which exerts on any charged particle having velocity v a force F equal to
the product of the vector product v x B and the electric charge Q of the particle
[SOURCE: IEC 60050-121:1998, 121-11-19, modified – The notes have been deleted.]
3.1.18
near-field region
region generally in proximity to an antenna or other radiating structure, in which the electric and
magnetic fields do not have a substantially plane-wave character, but vary considerably from
point to point
Note 1 to entry: The near-field region is further subdivided into the reactive near-field region, which is closest to
the radiating structure and that contains most or nearly all of the stored energy, and the radiating near-field region
where the radiation field predominates over the reactive field, but lacks substantial plane-wave character and is
complex in structure.
3.1.19
partial-body exposure
localized exposure of part of the body, producing a corresponding localized SAR, power density
or induced current density, as distinct from a whole-body exposure
3.1.20
plane-wave equivalent power density
power density equal in magnitude to the power density of a plane wave
having the same electric (E) or magnetic (H) field strength as the measured field
3.1.21
power density
S
power per unit area normal to the direction of
electromagnetic wave propagation
Note 1 to entry: For plane waves the power density (S), electric field strength (E) and magnetic field strength (H)
are related by the space impedance (Z ), in the case of plane wave or free space, i.e. 377 Ω:
E
S Z H EH
Z
E and H are expressed in units of V/m and A/m, respectively, and S in the unit of W/m . The value of 377 Ω is only
valid for free space, far field measurement conditions.
Note 2 to entry: Although many survey instruments indicate power density units, the actual quantities measured are
E or H or the square of those quantities.
3.1.22
reference level
level of field strength or power density derived from the basic restrictions using conservative
assumptions about exposure
Note 1 to entry: If the reference levels are met, then the basic restrictions will be complied with, but if the reference
levels are exceeded, that does not necessarily mean that the basic restrictions will not be met.
= ==
– 10 – IEC 62311:2019 © IEC 2019
3.1.23
root-mean-square value
RMS
effective value or the value associated with joule heating,
of a periodic electromagnetic wave, obtained by taking the square root of the mean of the
squared value of a function
Note 1 to entry: Although many survey instruments in the high frequency range indicate RMS, the actual quantity
measured is root-sum-square (RSS) (equivalent field strength).
3.1.24
root-sum-square value
RSS
value obtained from three individual RMS field strength values, measured in three orthogonal
directions, combined disregarding the phases
X XXX++
x yz
Note 1 to entry: This note applies to the French language only.
3.1.25
transient
pertaining to or designating a phenomenon or a quantity which varies between two consecutive
steady states during a time interval short compared with the timescale of interest
[SOURCE: IEC 60050-161:1990, 161-02-01]
3.1.26
whole-body exposure
exposure of the whole body (or the torso when induced current density is considered)
3.2 Abbreviated terms
CISPR Comité international spécial des perturbations radioélectriques
EIRP equivalent isotropic radiated power
EMF electromagnetic fields
EUT equipment under test
ICNIRP International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection
IEEE Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers
SAR specific absorption rate
4 Compliance criteria
In general, the basic restrictions shall be used as exposure limits for the assessment of
compliance. However, in most cases reference levels are used as limits. Such reference levels
for exposure to electric, magnetic and electromagnetic fields are derived from the basic
restrictions using realistic worst-case assumptions about exposure. If the reference levels are
met, then the basic restrictions will also be met; if the reference levels are exceeded, that does
not necessarily mean that the basic restrictions are exceeded. In some situations, it may be
possible to show compliance with the basic restrictions directly. It may also be possible to derive
compliance criteria that allow a simple measurement or calculation to demonstrate compliance
with the basic restrictions. Often these compliance criteria can be derived using realistic
assumptions about conditions under which exposures from a device may occur, rather than the
conservative assumptions that are the basis for the reference levels.
=
IEC 62311:2019 © IEC 2019 – 11 –
NOTE This document does not specify limits expressed by means of basic restrictions and/or reference levels. Such
limits are subject to the applied assessment scheme, given for example in [1] , [2], [3], [4] or [5] by means of regional
limits (see also SMB/3979/DP).
If the technology in the equipment is not capable of producing, at the user position, an E-field,
H-field, electromagnetic field, or contact current at levels higher than the reference levels, then
the equipment is deemed to comply with the requirements in this document in respect of that
E-field, H-field, electromagnetic field, or contact current without further assessment.
5 Performance of assessments
5.1 Assessment methods
The demonstration of compliance to limits regarding human exposure shall be done by means
of an assessment. One or more of the assessment methods listed in Table 1 may be used for
the assessment. The standards in the column ‘Applicable standard, for example’ are only
examples of applicable standards. Other standards or measurement and calculation methods
may be used if they are appropriate for the applied assessment method.
Table 1 – List of possible assessment methods
Assessment Applicable
Subject of assessment Applicability area and limitations
method standard, for
example
Simplified Maximum SAR Presumption of local/whole body SAR IEC 62479
assessment output power assessment by low power exclusion
(possible for level
(only
particular cases)
applicable for
f > 10 MHz)
EIRP SAR Presumption of compliance with SAR IEC 62232
values for installed equipment of
various classes depending on product
EIRP, installation height and distance to
ambient sources.
Measurement Field E and H/B Near or far field. Direct measurement IEC 62110
strength for comparison with reference levels or
IEC 62233
as input for more detailed assessment
IEC 62232
IEC 61786-2
Current Contact current Direct measurement of physical IEC TR 63167
properties of contact current
Basic Induced current Not developed
restrictions
/internal E-field
SAR SAR measurement with a phantom IEC 62209-1
(head)
IEC 62209-2 (flat,
small)
IEC 62232 (flat
phantom, large)
Power density In far field region, power density can be IEC 62232
measured by measuring E-field or
IEC TR 63170
H­field strength
For over 10 GHz (or 6 GHz) frequency
range, power density can be measured
with 2D scan on a measurement surface
___________
Numbers in square brackets refer to the bilbiography.

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Assessment Subject of assessment Applicability area and limitations Applicable
method standard, for
example
Calculation Numerical Source Prediction of exposures from calculation IEC 62232
model of emissions at a specific distance
Human body Induced current density – induced IEC 62226-2-1
electric field
IEC 62226-3-1
IEC 62233
SAR:100 kHz to 10 GHz IEC 62232
Because there is an overlapped
frequency range of electrical stimulation
effect and thermal effect, both induced
current/field and SAR shall be assessed
in the overlapped range.
Field Far field Electromagnetic fields far from source. IEC 62232
strength Very small microwave equipment not
(E and H/B)
used close to body, or large lower-
frequency transmitters at greater
distances.
That region of the field of an antenna
where the angular field distribution is
essentially independent of the distance
from the antenna. In this region (also
called the free space region), the field
has a predominantly plane-wave
character, i.e., locally uniform
distribution of electric field strength and
magnetic field strength in planes
transverse to the direction of
propagation.
Near field Electromagnetic fields very close to the
source. There can be an interaction
(E and H/B)
between the radiated fields from the
source and the user.
Current Contact current It can be calculated, but standard is not
developed
Basic Induced current Calculation with a phantom IEC 62226-1
restrictions density/internal
IEC 62226-2-1
E­field
IEC 62226-3-1
SAR Simulation with/without a phantom IEC IEEE 62704-1
Evaluation of measurement results IEC IEEE 62704-2
inside the phantom representing a body
IEC IEEE 62704-3
IEC 62232
Power density Power density can be calculated in far IEC 62232
field region.
The physical characteristics and intended use of the equipment may have an impact on the choice of assessment method.
For example, radiators of EMF intended for use in close proximity to the body shall be assessed differently from
transmitters intended for fixed installations in buildings.

The assessments should preferably be made according to an existing basic or product specific
standard, for example such as those given in Clause 2 or in Table 1. If the assessment method
in a basic or product specific standard is not fully applicable or if there is no appropriate basic
or product specific standard for the subject of assessment, then other types of assessments
are allowed as long as
– a description of the assessment method used is given in the assessment report;
– an evaluation of the total uncertainty is given in the assessment report.

IEC 62311:2019 © IEC 2019 – 13 –
For transmitters intended for use with external antennas then at least the realistic worst-case
combination (in terms of human exposure) of transmitter and antenna shall be assessed for
compliance in order to cover all reasonably foreseeable exposures.
5.2 Frequency range under assessment for unintentional radiation
For unintentionally radiating equipment, the compliance assessment to emissions of E or H field
shall be made according to the highest internal frequency used within the equipment under
assessment or at which the equipment operates with the following criteria:
– if the highest internal frequency of the equipment is less than 10 kHz, the assessments
should be made up to 400 kHz;
– if the highest internal frequency of the equipment is less than 108 MHz, the assessments
should be made up to 1 GHz;
– if the highest internal frequency of the equipment is between 108 MHz and 500 MHz, the
assessment should be made up to 2 GHz;
– if the highest internal frequency of the equipment is between 500 MHz and 1 GHz, the
assessment should be made up to 5 GHz.
If the highest internal frequency of the equipment is above 1 GHz, the assessment should be
made up to 5 times the internal frequency or 6 GHz, whichever is greater.
NOTE This frequency division is referenced by CISPR standards.
The criteria above can be considered as a general rule to consider harmonics of the highest
internal frequency. Alternatively, the actual values of all the harmonics may be assessed.
5.3 General procedure for the assessment of equipment
The following steps of a generic procedure for assessment of equipment involve a decision tree
drawing on information from Table 1 (assessment methods) and Table 2 (characteristics and
parameters of the equipment to be considered).
1) The equipment should be characterized to determine the nature of EMF emissions and
also the expected usage conditions. An analysis should be made to investigate which
parts of the equipment emit EMF. A description of the different parts of an item of
equipment is recommended in order to determine which parts are emitting EMF.
An assessment shall be performed under conditions which cause the highest stable
exposure within foreseeable or expected usage which is specified by the manufacturer.
Because EMF from peripheral equipment of the EUT can affect the results of
measurements, the fields may be measured with a minimum setup of the EUT where this
setup contains the indispensable equipment only needed for the operation of the EUT.
Measurements should be performed at the user position specified by the manufacturer
and the area where the user would foreseeably approach the equipment.
NOTE 1 For practical reasons it is acceptable to perform the assessment with the equipment being
operated with settings that produce the maximum exposure levels (e.g., maximum rated load, maximum
rated power consumption, maximum speed or other), consistent with reasonably foreseeable use. The
equipment is operated for a sufficient period to ensure that the conditions of operation are stable.
NOTE 2 Fields are usually measured with proper separation distances. In general, for practical reasons it
is acceptable to perform the assessment with a specific separation distance defined by the manufacturer.
2) Analysis by means of measurements or calculations: if the assessed quantities, for
example E-field strength or power density, are below the relevant reference levels, taking
into account the impact of actual waveforms and spectral contributions, and any allowed
time and spatial averaging then the equipment is deemed to meet the requirements in
this document. If not, then go to step 3).
3) Measured or calculated field strengths or power density values should be compared with
any product-specific compliance criteria (for example kind of emission, operating
frequency (range), limits) that applies to the equipment. If the emission values are below

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the product-specific compliance criteria then the equipment is deemed to meet the
requirements in this document. If no product-specific compliance criteria have been
specified for an E-field, H-field or contact current which is to be assessed, or if
compliance criteria have been specified but not met, then go to step (4).
NOTE 3 The technology of some products can allow assumptions about human exposure from the
equipment to be made, for example, always magnetic field, always partial-body exposure, etc. From these
assumptions it can be possible to derive compliance criteria for that product or product type, for example "if
the magnetic field strength is below", or "if the power is below”.
4) Further assessment involving more detailed measurement, calculation and
source/exposure modelling should be undertaken to allow comparison of exposure levels
with all relevant basic restrictions on exposure. If the exposures are below the basic
restrictions then the equipment is deemed to meet the requirements in this document. If
not, then the equipment is deemed not to comply with the requirements in this document.
This process is summarized in the flowchart in Figure 1.

IEC 62311:2019 © IEC 2019 – 15 –

a
These steps are optional and may be skipped if it can be demonstrated that the basic restrictions are met without
assessing the reference levels.
Figure 1 – Assessment flowchart

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The decision “low power/inherently compliant” shall be based on an assessment where the
emissions are specified in a performance standard, for example a transmitter performance
standard, and where the output power is limited to a level that cannot exceed applicable limits.
Hence such an assessment cannot be done within the scope of this document as it needs
specific information about the quantitative limits to be applied. It can be done only on the basis
of any other product standard giving the same limitation on the emission level as, for example,
IEC 62479 or IEC 62232. In such cases, it may be confirmed that the equipment or equipment
installation under assessment is in compliance with exposure guidelines/limits without
measurement or further assessment method (see Table 1).
In case of components embedded into equipment and compliant with a dedicated EMF
assessment standard the following procedure may be applied: If the component is not a
dominant exposure source, the equipment shall be assessed including the component. On the
other hand, if the component is the only dominant exposure source and is not affected by the
equipment characteristics, the equipment is deemed to be inherently compliant.
Some products use a technology or input powers that have the consequence that the emissions
cannot exceed the basic restrictions, for example non-radio transmitter products like wrist-
watches, ADSL modems, computers, telecommunications equipment and hi-fi systems.
The choice of assessment method in steps (3) and (4) above is optional, but it shall be suitable
for the exposure quantity to be assessed and for the frequency of emission. Where more than
one equally valid assessment method exists for a particular exposure quantity, then it is
acceptable to use only one assessment method for that particular quantity. Where only one
assessment method is chosen, this should be clearly stated and the reasons given for the choice.
Table 2 – Characteristics and parameters of the equipment to be considered
Information needed Further detailed description of the information needed
Frequency Frequency of emissions
Waveform Waveform and other information such as duty factor for establishment of peak-
and/or average emission
Multiple frequency sources Does the equipment produce fields at more than one frequency or fields with a
high harmonic content?
Are the emissions simultaneous?
Voltage differences and any coupling parts e.g. metallic surfaces charged at a
Emission of electric fields
voltage potential
Emission of magnetic fields Current flow and any coupling parts e.g. coils, transducers or loops
Emission of electromagnetic Generation or transmission of high frequency signals and any radiating parts
fields e.g. antennas, loops, transducers and external cables
Contact currents Current flows through a human body from conductive objects that are exposed
to electromagnetic fields
Whole-body exposur
...