Summary of Health Canada Safety Code 6

Prepared by Sandy Sandwith, VE4FZ
  1. The organization that published safety guidelines for the maximum limits of RF energy near the human body is Health Canada.

  2. The purpose of Safety Code 6 is to give RF exposure limits for the human body.

  3. According to Safety Code 6, the frequencies that cause us the greatest harm from RF energy is 30 to 300 MHz.

  4. The human body absorbs energy the most in the range of 30 to 300 MHz, according to Safety Code 6, and that is why exposure limits are lowest in this range.

  5. Prior to 1999 Safety Code 6 did not list the maximum power output to the antenna of portable equipment or hand-held units operating in the VHF/UHF range. The exemption on portable equipment was withdrawn in 1999.

  6. The exemption of portable transmitters, operating below 1 GHz, with a power output up to 7 watts was removed from Safety Code 6 in 1999.

  7. Maximum exposure level of RF fields to the general population, in the frequency range of 10 to 300 MHz, is 28 VRMS/meter (E-field).

  8. The maximum exposure level of RF fields for the general population, in the range of 30 to 300 MHz, is 0.073 Amp. RMS per meter (H-field).

  9. Permissible exposure level of RF fields increases as frequency is increased above 300 MHz.

  10. Permissible exposure level of RF fields increases as frequency decreases below 10 MHz.