1. GENERAL *

2. PROGRESS *

3. CONTRIBUTION OF THE PARTICIPANTS *

4. ANNUAL REPORTS OF THE WORKING GROUPS *

5. REPORT ON THE FIRST TRAINING COURSE *

6. PROJECT EVALUATION *

7. MILESTONES *

The Thematic Network for Ultraviolet Measurements started its operation on 15^th of November 1997. This is the second annual report of the Network, describing its progress during period 15/11/1998-14/11/1999.

The third Workshop was arranged in Teddington (London) on September 8-10, 1999 by the National Physical Laboratory (NPL). The number of participants of the Workshop was 51. The minutes of the Workshop, including the list of participants, are included as an Annex in this report.

The WWW-pages of the Network (http://metrology.hut.fi/uvnet/) have been finalised during 1999. The visual appearance of the pages has been improved significantly. In future, only updating of the pages on a regular basis is needed.

During the reporting period, two Newsletters (UVNEWS) were published. The second UVNEWS was issued in March 1999. This issue reported on the progress of the second Workshop held in Braunschweig and announced the third Workshop to be held in Teddington. The third UVNEWS was issued in July 1999. The third UVNEWS included the final programme of the Teddington Workshop with the abstracts of the presentations. Also announcement for the training course was published. The circulation of UVNEWS is presently 164.

The first training course was arranged at NPL in Teddington, on September 6-8, 1999. A detailed report is given in section 5 of this report.

The date and place of the second training course have been fixed. The training course will be arranged in Innsbruck, Austria on May 4-5, 2000. Dr. Mario Blumthaler at the University of Innsbruck will handle the local arrangements.

According to the first and second cost statements, the Network has used 254.955,35 ECU of the allocated 379.930 ECU (67 %). The costs of the last year have been budgeted to be approximately the same as the costs of the first and second year. Therefore, the project is exactly in its budget.

Some participants have not been able to attend the Workshops, which has resulted in financial savings. These savings have been allocated in the following areas:

• Helsinki University of Technology, 1 200 ECU for increased costs of UVNEWS.
• Leopold-Franzens-Universität Innsbruck, 2 000 ECU for practical arrangements of the second training course
• Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt, 1 500 ECU for additional costs of arranging the second Workshop
• Swedish National Testing and Research Institute LTD, 1 500 ECU for additional costs of arranging the fourth Workshop
• NPL Management LTD, 1 500 ECU for additional costs of arranging the third Workshop
• Travel costs for attending the first and the second Workshops were only reimbursed up to a limit of 850 ECU. In future, true travel costs are reimbursed.

Savings have also been allocated to cover the costs of invited guests in the Workshops. Invited guests are persons whose attendance has been considered important for the Network, e.g. specialists in a certain measurement area. Invited guests and their expenses covered so far:

• UMIST Ventures Ltd. (Dr. Ann R. Webb) 722,35 ECU for attending Workshop 2 in Braunschweig
• Ingenieurbüro iSiTEC Hanken & Hoops GbR (Thomas Hanken) 850,00 ECU for attending Workshop 1 in Helsinki and 566,40 ECU for attending Workshop 3 in Teddington
• Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (Dr. Hans Rabus) 870,94 ECU for attending Workshop 3 in Teddington

A number of other guests have been invited as well, but they have volunteered to cover their own expenses.

The contribution of the participants in the operation of the Network has been given in Annex 1. In addition:

1. Helsinki University of Technology has co-ordinated the Network activities, arranged a Workshop in Helsinki, edited three issues of UVNEWS, implemented and maintained the WWW-pages, and is chairing the steering group.
2. Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt has arranged a Workshop in Braunschweig, is a member of the steering group and the leader of Working Group 2.
3. Gigahertz-Optik Vertriebsgesellschaft für Technische Optik mbH is a member of the steering group and the leader of Working Group 1.
4. NPL Management LTD has planned and arranged the first training course, arranged a Workshop in Teddington, is a member of the steering group and the leader of Working Group 3.
5. University of Dundee is a member of the steering group and the leader of Working Group 4.

The steering group was set at the first Workshop to make decisions on practical matters of the Network.

This Group will concentrate on making an international proposal for characterising of UV-meters.

To produce a proposal which could be accepted, or parts of it, by other committees that are working on similar regulations.

There is no general accepted regulation for characterising UV-meters in the world.

To achieve its aim, WG1 has been working on getting information from the other working groups in the world, which are also working on drafts for this topic.

We are in contact with

1. Berufsgenossenschaft Fachausschuss Elektrotechnik "Incoherent optical radiation,"
2. CIE TC 2-47 " Characterisation and calibration methods of UV radiometers,"
3. CIE TC 6-45 "Workplace safety,"
4. DIN FNL 7.5 "Radiometer for measurement of actinic radiation quantities,"
5. MOHR "International Symposium and Workshop on Measurement of Optical Radiation Hazards," and
6. WMO-SAG "Instruments to measure solar ultraviolet radiation."

We want to find a consensus view on the above ideas and to make our own proposal for industrial UV-radiometry.

We took part at meetings from FNL 7.5; CIE TC2-47, Berufsgenossenschaft Fachausschuss Elektrotechnik and of course the meeting in Teddington last September.

We got inputs from the WMO SAG,

The most important contact from other groups was with the CIE TC2-47 Group. This group prepares a document within the CIE similar to our WG. They are at the beginning of their work and informed us, that our work covers half of their work and they will use our work within the CIE.

The members gave feedback via e-mail, fax and phone. All this feedback was established in the additional revised 1. Draft which was discussed in Teddington. There we discussed all the open points, and found members to solve these points.

Additional Revised 1. Draft was released on 15.08.99 ("UV_Char 990814.doc"). The Draft was discussed in Teddington and is currently under final stage of modifications.

We plan to finish our work of the draft in middle of 2000 and will have a final paper at the last meeting in September 2000.

We will inform all other groups of this paper to get it known all around the world.

Reported by Anton Gugg-Helminger, January 08 2000

The objectives of WG 2 that have not been changed are:

1. To determine the user requirements for spectrally resolved calibrations of standards and characterisations of instruments and components in the field of non-coherent UV radiometry and spectrophotometry.
2. To stimulate and promote the improvement and development of measurement techniques and exchange of experiences based on the respective needs and problems as well as on the state-of-the-art methods, devices and instruments identified by WG 2 before.
3. To prepare and publish a report with examples of the expression of the uncertainty of measurement in UV radiometric calibrations based on the documents EAL-R2 and EAL-R2-S1 and in compliance with the recommendation of the ISO Guide to the Expression of Uncertainty in Measurement. The goal is to demonstrate the method of evaluating the uncertainty of measurement in spectroradiometry, to support the reduction of the too large uncertainties in UV radiometry and to facilitate the evaluation of realistic reported uncertainties.

The total field of non-coherent UV spectroradiometry and spectrophotometry that could be covered by the objectives of the WG2 is very large:

Calibration of detectors, spectroradiometers, sources (lamps), reflection standards and filters; characterisation/testing of detectors, sources, optical instruments, components, materials and surfaces.

Therefore, WG2 concentrates its activities on specific problems and needs of mutual interest that have been identified based on the replies to the questionnaires and on the discussion at the meetings during the Workshops in November 1998 and September 1999. The following three areas of activity and mutual interest to several WG2 members may be distinguished according to the different actions to be taken:

Based on the replies to the questionnaires, the discussions at the two meetings and the contributions made by some volunteering members, the following activities have been identified:

Projects and reports included in the WG2 activities that have been identified in accordance with the input of the working group members cannot cover the whole range of UV spectroradiometry and spectrophotometry.

The following development projects influenced by WG2 activities and discussions are known to be in progress and results (status reports) shall be presented and discussed or published by the last Workshop in September 2000. In some cases, first results and concepts have been presented at the third Workshop in September 1999. It is noted that development and test of hardware and methods influencing each other are often combined.

The next and final WG2 meeting will take place during the last Workshop in September 2000.

Future work includes the completion of and feedback on the draft reports on the subjects and projects described above. (Status) reports presenting results of the above-mentioned projects that will be provided for the final report of the WG2 should be presented to the WG2 members by e-mail messages before the last meeting. WG2 members are encouraged once more to discuss and comment their own and the above-mentioned problems via e-mail messages. Moreover, it will be useful and adequate in many cases to refer to publications and other reports.

Reported by Jürgen Metzdorf, November 30, 1999

The objectives of this Working Group are:

This will culminate in the production of an appendix to the document produced by WG1 which will help those making measurements or suppliers of equipment to identify sources of uncertainty relevant to their application and an appropriate method to assess its level

The aim of this working group is to draw together problems and requirements from a range of technical areas and hopefully bring together solutions/ best-measurement practise from one technical area into another. It is clear that at the start of this exercise interaction between groups is relatively poor. It is also true that some technical disciplines are more advanced than others (notably solar UV monitoring) but also that the demands of some are not as critical.

The main aim at the start of the project was to get together a pool of information as to what is known and what is perceived to be known with the aim of linking it together in a document which then provides readers with links to the current state-of-the-art in terms of measurement/characterisation for their particular measurement application. However, an important goal in this is to ensure that the selected solution is only at a level required by the application and does make the application economically non-viable.

The group has so far carried out its activities through a process of questionnaires and discussion at a meeting of the second and third Workshop. This process has sought to identify:

• the types of measurement carried out which require a spectrally weighted function,
• the uncertainty requirements for the application,
• uncertainties achieved both specified by manufacturers and believed by users,
• possible sources of uncertainty,
• methods available for characterisation of source of uncertainty, and
• associated uncertainties with the characterisation methods.

A significant baseline of knowledge has been procured as to the underpinning requirements although there are still some gaps in the knowledge base particularly for dosimetry applications although efforts are being made to identify inputs to this. A brainstorming and refining exercise was carried out at the last Workshop identifying more than 30 sources of error and typically 2 to 3 different characterisation methods for each error source. The WG is currently refining this data through Email interaction with a view to producing a draft document in the summer of 2000. This document will be produced which will identify all potential sources of error and review potential calibration/characterisation methods. This document will then be discussed in a joint session of the WG1 and WG3 at the fourth Workshop in Sweden.

Ultimately It is intended that the document in its final form will be published and be available widely probably linked or incorporated in the document being developed through WG1. Similarly, the document is likely to involve inputs from WG4. During the next period a first draft is intended to be produced.

Reported by Nigel Fox, December 15, 1999

The aim is to provide practical advice on suitable measurement techniques in health and safety aspects of ultra-violet radiation with respect to artificial tanning units.

There are known hazards caused by exposure to UV radiation. Also, its use in medicine is potentially beneficial. Recently, there have been widespread concerns over the safety of sunbeds and also uncertainty on appropriate measurement techniques. For these reasons, WG4 has focused on this area.

The working group was formulated at the first meeting of the Network in Espoo, Finland 2-3 March 1998, and subsequently met in Braunschweig, Germany 9-11 November 1998 and Teddington, England 8-10 September 1999. As in previous years, considerable communication has taken place by E-mail. Following its initial decision to concentrate on sunbeds, consideration has been given to producing an agreed methodology appropriate for measuring UV from an artificial tanning unit.

Over the last 12 months, progress has taken place in key areas:

The working group will seek to deliver outcomes in respect of a Sunbed Database, Agreed Measurement Protocol Regarding the European Standard, Advice on Suitable Replacement Lamps, Specification of a Measuring Device for On-site Use.

Reported by Harry Moseley, November 17, 1999

The training course on UV measurement was held at the National Physical Laboratory, Teddington, on September 6-7, 1999.

A total of 24 people applied to attend the Course, although two people were forced to cancel immediately prior to the date (list of participants is enclosed as Annex 2). This attendance was somewhat lower than anticipated. The reasons for this are not clear, although much wider publicity would certainly have helped. Unfortunately, no funding for publicity was available - perhaps an oversight in the project proposal. While NPL has great experience of publicising such courses within the UK, a much greater effort is required for publicity covering the whole of the EU. Nevertheless, information on the Course was in some cases disseminated very widely, as indicated by the attendance of four people from outside the EU, together with further expressions of interest from the USA.

It has been decided to hold the next run of the Course in Innsbruck on May 4-5, 2000. This will be basically a repeat of the first course, although some alterations in content would be beneficial, and these are suggested below.

The course consisted of a series of twelve lectures spread over two days, followed by a further half day of visits to relevant labs at the NPL. The broad content of the course had been determined to a considerable extent during discussions at the First Workshop of the EU Thematic Network in Helsinki in 1998, while the content of individual lectures was decided by each speaker, with guidance from NPL. The first lectures covered the basics of measurement: concepts, definitions, detectors, sources, materials, broad band and spectrally resolved measurements, the treatment of uncertainty in measurement, and traceability and quality assurance. There was then a series of lectures on particular application areas: Solar UV, Health, High power measurement, and finally a lecture on new developments. A shortcoming of the programme was that it was weighted rather heavily towards health and environmental applications, rather than industrial applications. This perhaps reflects the strong representation of these former applications in the Network as a whole, and future Courses should redress the balance. A particular omission was in the area of measurement of optical properties of materials (e.g. reflectance and transmittance). This can be remedied in part for the repeat run of the Course by a change in emphasis in the lecture on optical materials.

A further area for improvement is in co-ordination between the content of different lectures. Some lecturers were repeating what others had already said. This was maybe inevitable in the first run of such a Course, and the lecturers now have copies of the Course Notes, so that they will be better able to avoid covering the same material at the second run of the Course.

Otherwise, the Course was well received. Those attending returned Course Evaluation Forms to fill in, which indicated a consistently high level of satisfaction with the Course content, presentation, and organisation.

Reported by Bill Hartree, NPL, November 17, 1999

The project was evaluated with a questionnaire distributed to all participants of the Training Course and the Workshop. 49 questionnaires were filled in and returned. Questions were asked on both the importance and the quality of the actions. A summary of the replies is given in the table below. The rating goes from 1 (poor) to 5 (excellent). Based on the results, it may be concluded that the project can be considered a success. The actions are considered both important and well organised.

Signed in Espoo, January 14, 2000

Erkki Ikonen
Co-ordinator of the Network

Legends: WS1, WS2, WS3 - Number of persons attending the Workshops; TC1 - Number of lecturers in Training Course 1; WG1-WG4 - Number of persons in the Working Groups; NCP - Organisation has acted as a contact person in the given country.