10.20.7 What Should You Do If You Think You Have Been Overexposed to RF Radiation?
A suspected RF overexposure should be treated seriously, reported promptly, assessed technically, and managed under the applicable RF Radiation Safety Plan and incident procedure. An exposure above a limit does not by itself establish injury, but the event must not be dismissed because symptoms are absent.
What Should You Do If You Think You Have Been Overexposed to RF Radiation?
If RF exposure may still be occurring, follow the emergency and withdrawal arrangements and move to a safe location without creating an additional electrical, fall, traffic, or other hazard.
Do not ignore the situation or assume that someone else will report it. Equally, do not assume that harm has occurred simply because an exposure limit may have been exceeded.
The objective is to ensure that the situation is assessed accurately, appropriate assistance is provided if required, and steps are taken to prevent a similar event from occurring again.
Leave the Area Safely
Leave the area as soon as it is safe to do so if exposure may still be occurring.
If the work involves transmitters, antennas, or other RF equipment, follow the site's established procedures for withdrawing from the work area. Avoid creating additional hazards by rushing, particularly if work is being carried out on towers, rooftops, or elevated structures.
Once clear of the RF hazard, remain available to assist with the subsequent investigation.
Report the Incident Immediately
The incident should be reported without delay to:
- your supervisor;
- the Responsible Person;
- the source operator or site contact; or
- the person nominated in the applicable Plan or incident procedure.
Prompt reporting allows the organization to protect other people, establish a verified source state, restrict access, arrange medical assessment, and preserve evidence.
Delaying the report may make it more difficult to determine exactly what occurred.
Record What Happened
As soon as practicable, record as much information as possible while the details remain fresh.
Useful information includes:
- the location of the incident;
- the time it occurred;
- the work being performed;
- the equipment involved;
- transmitter operating conditions, if known;
- your approximate location relative to the antenna;
- the estimated duration of the exposure; and
- the names of any witnesses.
This information assists engineers in reconstructing the exposure conditions and determining whether the applicable exposure limits may have been exceeded.
Obtain Prompt Medical Assessment
RPS S-1 recommends medical assessment as soon as practical for a person suspected or confirmed as overexposed. The response should not wait for symptoms or for the technical reconstruction to be completed.
The medical practitioner should be given available information about:
- the RF source;
- the operating frequency;
- transmitter power;
- estimated exposure duration; and
- the measured, calculated, or reconstructed exposure and its uncertainty.
Accurate technical information helps the practitioner assess the actual event rather than infer risk from the presence of an RF source alone.
Cooperate with the Investigation
Every suspected or confirmed overexposure should be investigated and reconstructed as far as reasonably practicable.
The purpose of the investigation is not to assign blame.
Instead, it seeks to identify:
- whether an applicable exposure limit was exceeded;
- why the incident happened;
- whether existing control measures were adequate; and
- what improvements can be made to prevent recurrence.
Your observations and recollections may be important in helping investigators understand the sequence of events.
Learn from the Incident
Even if the investigation concludes that no overexposure occurred, valuable lessons may still emerge.
The organization may decide to:
- improve engineering controls;
- revise safe work procedures;
- update training;
- improve signage;
- modify access arrangements; or
- review the RF risk assessment.
Lessons should be applied to the relevant assessment, controls, procedures, training, RF Radiation Safety Plan, and organization-wide RF safety program.
Do Not Rely on Symptoms Alone
Unlike hazards such as excessive heat or electrical shock, RF overexposure cannot always be recognized by immediate physical sensations.
Similarly, the absence of symptoms does not necessarily indicate that no investigation is required, just as the presence of anxiety following a suspected exposure does not necessarily indicate that harmful exposure has occurred.
The event should be evaluated through competent engineering assessment and prompt medical assessment, with first aid or emergency treatment provided for any injury.
Summary
If you think you have been overexposed, leave the area safely, report the event immediately, record what happened, and remain available for medical and technical assessment. Suspected or confirmed overexposure should receive medical assessment as soon as practical. The organization should establish the source state, preserve records, reconstruct the exposure with uncertainty, investigate causes, implement corrective action, and meet applicable reporting duties.
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