ABSTRACT
Some amounts of optical radiation are beneficial for humans but excessive exposure can cause many negative health effects to the skin and eyes and also can affect the immune system. Biological effects can be induced only by absorbed radiation. We could distinguish two types of reactions in biological tissues induced by optical radiation: photochemical (in UV and VIS range) and thermal (in VIS and IR range). Exposure limit values (EL V s) represent conditions under which it is expected that nearly all individuals may be repeatedly exposed without acute adverse effects and based upon best available evidence, without noticeable risk of delayed effects. New individual Directive 2006/25/EC of the European Parliament and the Council on the minimum health and safety requirements regarding the exposure of workers to risks arising from physical agents (artificial optical radiation) concerns measures protecting workers from the risks associated with artificial optical radiation. The examples of workstations where results of the exposure measurements indicate high occupational risk arising from optical radiation arc: electric and gas welding. The employer is obliged to provide protection from exposure via combination of engineering controls, administrative measures and personal protective equipment (PPE).
