8.11 INTERPRETATION OF ASSESSMENT RESULTS
The purpose of an RF safety assessment is not merely to produce a measured or calculated number. It is to determine what that number represents and whether it supports a conclusion under the applicable exposure standard. The result must therefore be interpreted together with the assessed quantity, exposure category, source configuration, operating condition, location, temporal and spatial averaging, treatment of simultaneous sources, uncertainty, and decision rule.
A technically accurate result can still be unsuitable for a compliance decision if it represents the wrong quantity, location, operating state, or averaging interval. Interpretation should begin by matching the result to the assessment objective and the conditions specified by the applicable method.
8.11.1 What The Result Represents
The report should distinguish between an external field quantity, an induced or contact current, and an internal dosimetric quantity. It should also state whether the result is an instantaneous or time-averaged value, a point value or spatial average, an observed operating value or an extrapolated maximum, and a single-source contribution or combined exposure result.
An external field-strength reading does not by itself measure absorbed energy or predict a biological effect. It can demonstrate compliance when it is obtained and processed in accordance with a valid reference-level assessment. If the reference levels are exceeded or are not applicable to the field region or exposure geometry, the relevant basic restriction may need to be assessed using a standardized laboratory or computational method.
A result also applies to the location or exposure scenario assessed. A field measured at a site is not automatically the exposure received by every person who enters the area, and a product-compliance result does not describe every possible unauthorized configuration or use. The scope of the conclusion should be stated explicitly.