Base Level Management of Radio Frequency Radiation Protection Program
April 1989 |AF Occupational and Environmental Health Laboratory (AFSC) Human Systems Division |Brooks Air Force Base, Texas |
“I. INTRODUCTION
A. The purpose of this report is to assist the base level aerospace medical team (i.e., Bioenvironmental Engineering Service (BES), Environmental Health Service (EHS), flight surgeon, occupational medicine consultants, etc.) manage their Radio Frequency Radiation (RFR) Protection Programs. In the original version of this guidebook, the authors attempted to compile a booklet that was not written in stuffy regulatory dialogue; they provided BEEs with most of the technical and practical information necessary to implement their programs. In the second edition, our intent is the same, with addition of new information based on questions and comments from the field and our experiences over the past eight years.
B. In contrast to the first guidebook, this edition includes more detailed information and less reference to other sources. With this basic approach, however, we do not intend to duplicate the information in Air Force Occupational Safety and Health Standard 161-9 (AFOSH Std 161-9), “Exposure To Radiofrequency Radiation,” 12 Feb 87; this guidebook should be used in conjunction with AFOSH Std 161-9.
C. This report incorporates information already published in AFOEHL Reports. For example, we have expanded the section on the biological effects of RFR by inclusion of information from USAFOEHL Report 86-020CO111BRA, “Assessing Possible Damage Due to Radio Frequency Radiation,” author: Col Bruce J. Poitrast and T.O. 31Z-10-4, “Electromagnetic Radiation Hazards.” A* great deal of the information for this report was taken directly from its predecessor.
D. Appendix C of this report contains updated emitter information based on reports compiled by AFOEHL, 1839 Engineering Installation Group at Keesler AFB, 485 Engineering Installation Group at Griffiss AFB, Engineering Installation Division at Oklahoma AFS, the 1843 Engineering Installation Group at Hickam AFB HI, and 7100 Combat Support Wing Medical Center at Lindsey AS Germany. In this appendix, we provide a cross-reference between report number and the surveyed emitter nomenclature.
E. Most important, this report addresses changes to the AFOSH Std 161-9. Specifically, there were major changes made to Permissible Exposure Levels (PELs) in the 1984 revision and changes in overexposure investigation procedures made in the 1987 revision.” -P.1
