Current densities and total contact currents associated with 400 kV power line tasks.

The aim of the study was to analyze all current values from measured periods while performing tasks on 400 kV power lines. Our aim was also to study the average current densities and average total contact currents caused by electric fields in 400 kV power line tasks. Two workers simulated the following tasks: (A) climbing up a portal tower, (B) climbing up a portal transposing tower, (C) working on the cross-arm of a portal tower, (D) climbing up a portal tube tower, (E) climbing up a Tannenbaum tower on the side of the energized circuit with the other circuit unenergized, (F) climbing up a Tannenbaum tower with both circuits energized, and (G) climbing up a Donau tower. The highest average current density in the neck was 2.5 mA/m(2) (calculated internal electric field 31.5-63.0 mV/m), and the highest average of the contact currents was 240.0 µA. All measured values at 400 kV towers were lower than the limit value of 10 mA/m(2) in the first version of Directive 2004/40/EC and the basic restrictions (0.1 and 0.8 V/m) of the International Commission on Non-ionizing Radiation Protection.