10.15.8 Changes Affecting Public Exposure
A public exposure assessment remains valid only while its source, site, access, and environmental assumptions remain valid. Review triggers include:
- construction of new buildings or occupied structures;
- changes to rooftop, balcony, plant-room, or compound access;
- installation or removal of transmitters and antennas;
- changes in power, frequency, duty cycle, beam behavior, or antenna orientation;
- redevelopment of neighboring land; or
- new pedestrian routes, public events, or changes in site use.
RPS S-1 requires further assessment after any modification that may increase human exposure. A review should also be initiated when public access or surrounding development changes, even if the RF equipment itself has not changed.
10.15.9 Public Overexposure
The incident procedure should cover both suspected and confirmed overexposure of a member of the public and should link to the broader arrangements described in Section 10.14.
The response should include:
- moving the person to a safe location and restricting further access;
- preserving and verifying source operating states, logs, and site conditions;
- reconstructing the possible exposure, including relevant uncertainty;
- arranging medical assessment as soon as practicable for suspected or confirmed overexposure;
- investigating the event and implementing corrective and preventive actions; and
- reporting a confirmed overexposure to the relevant radiation protection authority and meeting any other applicable notification duties.
The site operator should provide the medical practitioner and investigators with available information about the RF fields and the possible exposure. Under RPS S-1, the relevant radiation protection authority reports a confirmed incident to the Australian Radiation Incident Register.