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Andrew Beevers  
#1 Posted : 11 March 2021 12:03:11(UTC)
Rank: New forum user
Andrew Beevers

Good Morning

Going through the process of Roof Risk Assessment reviews at the moment.

As part of the existing assessments we include the use of RF monitors for our own Property Service Staff and Contractors when working on roofs and consider RF as a hazard.

Interesting to speak with Comms contractors recently who were working on site who put little or no emphasis on Radio Frequency as a hazard.

It doesn’t even appear on their Risk Assessments!

As long as the equipment is pointing away from the roof areas, they are comfortable to consider RF as very low/insignificant risk.

Without good evidence to prove otherwise I will still include RF as a significant hazard.

Any comments please?

 

Andrew

biker1  
#2 Posted : 11 March 2021 12:30:32(UTC)
Rank: Super forum user
biker1

You do not indicate what sort of radio frequencies are involved. I would have thought the greatest risk is from mobile phone transmitters, as they operate close to the microwave frequencies. Not sure that more traditional radio frequencies present such a risk, but I'm sure there are people on here who know far more about this.

John Murray  
#3 Posted : 11 March 2021 13:40:58(UTC)
Rank: Forum user
John Murray

If there are no radio transmitters on the roof, there is no hazard.

It doesn't matter if they are on buildings across the road, because the inverse square rules; rules.

In any case, from this year, things are going to get a lot more "problematic".

https://www.ofcom.org.uk/manage-your-licence/emf/compliance-and-enforcement-guidance

"All workers (regardless of whether or not they work in the radiocommunications industry)are occupationally-exposed individuals and are not members of the general public whilst they are working. This means that if a spectrum user has determined that the only individuals that may potentially be exposed to EMF in breach of the ICNIRP general public limits are workers9, the EMF condition will not require spectrum users to take any additional steps to comply with the ICNIRP general public limits. Where workers are exposed to EMF, their employer – whether a site owner, other licensee or otherwise should already be taking appropriate steps to mitigate the risk of their exposure to EMF in accordance with pre-existing health and safety legislation"

Good luck. No radio transmitters=no risk.

Ron Hunter  
#4 Posted : 17 March 2021 13:52:43(UTC)
Rank: Super forum user
Ron Hunter

Good on you Andrew for applying best practice. For the doubters out there who think this is straightforward, have a look at page 3 of GN-020 available at:

Mast and Tower Safety Group | Guidance Notes (matsgroup.info)

thanks 1 user thanked Ron Hunter for this useful post.
peter gotch on 17/03/2021(UTC)
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