10.5.2 Identifying Exposure Locations
Once RF sources have been identified, the next step is to determine every location in which people could be exposed during normal operation, maintenance, testing, foreseeable abnormal conditions, or emergency access.
Potential exposure locations include:
- equipment rooms;
- antenna towers;
- rooftops;
- maintenance platforms;
- waveguide galleries;
- transmitter buildings;
- radar operating areas;
- satellite antenna structures;
- public access areas; and
- neighboring properties.
Hazard identification should consider routine occupancy and temporary access during maintenance, inspection, installation, commissioning, testing, fault repair, and emergency response.
Areas that are seldom occupied may still require careful assessment if personnel enter them while RF sources remain energized.
10.5.3 Identifying Persons And Exposure Categories
Hazard identification should consider everyone who may be exposed, including employees, contractors, visitors, emergency responders, and members of the public. The applicable category depends on potential exposure, information, training, supervision, and control, not on job title alone.
For Australian workplaces, RPS S-1 distinguishes four occupational groups and general public exposure:
- RF Worker: a person who may be occupationally exposed to RF fields in the course of and intrinsic to their work;
- Controlled Area Worker: a person other than an RF Worker who may be required to work in a Controlled Area;
- Aware User: a person appropriately trained to use portable wireless devices that may expose the user above the public basic restrictions;
- Supervised Visitor: a visitor directly supervised while transiting a Controlled Area who may be exposed above public limits but below occupational limits; and
- General public exposure: all exposure received by members of the public, excluding occupational exposure.
Contractors performing work may need to be treated as RF Workers or Controlled Area Workers; they should not be treated as Supervised Visitors merely because they are not employees. The classification and controls should be established before access or work begins.