Abstract: High voltage AC cables passing through bathing beach can generate electromagnetic fields around the beach, which poses a certain safety risk to nearby personnel. Based on the existing standards, two indexes of step voltage and electric field intensity were proposed to evaluate the safety risk of personnel near high voltage AC cables. An electromagnetic interference model of a high voltage AC cable passing through bathing beach was established. The distributions of step voltage and electric field intensity in the vicinity were calculated by the model, when the cable was in steady-state operation condition and fault condition (single-phase cable sheath shorting fault, single-phase cable core grounding fault). The results show that the safety risk of personnel on land and in the tidal area of bathing beach was low when the cable was in steady-state operation condition and in single-phase cable sheath shorting fault condition. Under the single-phase cable core grounding fault condition, the personnel safety risk was high, the distribution of step voltage on both sides of the fault point was symmetrical, and the electric field intensity decreased to the safety standard (14 V/m) after 10 m away from the fault point. Finally, based on the evaluation results, mitigation measures including adding protective fences and laying ground grids were proposed.