A Practical Guide For Establishing An RF Safety Program

The topic of RF safety is important to every organization that either uses RF and microwave energy to deliver an end product such as a wireless service or employs it to perform an industrial function such as packaging, cooking, and drying of materials or products. Maintaining a safe environment for employees as well as the general public is not simply a good ideas – it's the law, and it is being enforced more rigorously every year. An RF safety program is the key to establishing and maintaining an environment that offers personal protection and is legally defensible. The thought of establishing such a program often strikes fear into the hearts of organizations, bemoaning yet another layer of bureaucracy, endless paperwork, and the need to learn about RF and microwave technology.

Fortunately, a credible RF safety program for many organizations is often not complicated, but does require a long-term corporate commitment, discipline, and yes, some difficult work. However, the time is well spent, since even the step of determining if a program is required answers the question of where the organization falls in the "RF safety spectrum," something many companies simply do not know – but should.

Narda Safety Test Solutions created this RF Safety Guide to provide the basic information needed to create an RF safety program. It assumes only that the reader knows that his or her organization employs electromagnetic (EM) energy, which to a wireless carrier is obvious but to a manufacturer sometimes is not. The guide is not intended to be a complete treatise on the subject, but rather an overview that covers the element of RF safety necessary to begin the implementation of an RF safety program. Additional information is available in the guidances and standards and other resources referenced at the end of the RF Safety Guide. Narda-STS can also provide assistance with RF safety equipment and measurements, and conducts training sessions on RF safety training and measurements throughout North America every year.