Course Aim

The aim of this Level 2 Radio Frequency Radiation Safety Officer (RFRSO) course is to provide a qualitative level of understanding of the principles of RF radiation safety practice to meet the needs of Australian/International standards for a RF radiation safety officer or Defence Level 2 RF Radiation Safety Officer (RFRSO2). The two days of the course cover an introduction to the electromagnetic spectrum, RF propagation, and antennas; the health effects of RF and RF radiation safety; an introduction to the ARPANSA RF exposure standard; an introduction to RF measurement and computation and RF survey; and the application of RF safety policies, procedures and plans.

Based on the content of ICNIRP Guidelines for Limiting Exposure to Electromagnetic Fields (100 kHz to 300 GHz), the course provides attendees with an understanding of the two major relevant standards and their application to RF radiation safety: ARPANSA RPS S-1Standard for Limiting Exposure to Radiofrequency Fields—100 kHz to 300 GHz and the measurement standard AS/NZS2772.2Radiofrequency Fields Part 2: Principles and Methods of Measurement and Computation—3 kHz to 300 GHz.

For attendees who need additional quantitative qualification, our three-day Level 1 RFRSO Course then builds on these two days with a detailed coverage of RF calculations and the application of the ARPANSA exposure standard to continuous wave and pulsed RF sources, RF radiation test and measurement, computation and uncertainty in accordance with the measurement standard AS/NZS2772.2; and an extensive practicum involving a number of RF radiation survey exercises.

This course is suited to those who supervise operators and maintainers of radio transmitting devices, to qualify them to a level where they are competent to implement safety plans and safety procedures. At the completion of this course attendees will understand the hazards involved in the operation of the equipment and can interpret radiation hazard evaluations. This course is also suited to those with more general health and safety responsibilities for workplaces where radio transmitters are present.

Course Outline

Day 1

Fundamentals: Course introduction | WHS and Radiation Safety | Fundamentals of analogue and digital signals | Electromagnetic spectrum | Circuits: current, voltage, resistance, impedance, power | Introduction to decibels (dB)

RF Propagation: EM Wave: E field, H field, polarisation | Propagation: Isotropic radiation, EIRP, power flux density | Free-space loss formula | Types of RF propagation: ground wave, surface wave, sky wave, troposcatter | Introduction to modulation | Designations of emissions | Introduction to power density calculations | Typical powers of military and commercial systems | CW vs pulsed, average vs peak power, RMS values

Antennas: Introduction to transmission lines and waveguides | Basic antenna properties: gain, beamwidth, polarisation | Antenna field regions: RNF, radNF, FF | Radiation patterns | Types of antennas including examples

Level 2 Formative Test: Online multiple-choice test to provide students with the opportunity to review the course material from the day. Completion of the test is mandatory

Day 2

Health Effects: Differences in health effects between ionising and non-ionising radiation | Sources of RF | Summary of EME adverse health effects | Evidence based research on exposure level to produce health effect | Limits based on reduction factors applied to identified exposure levels | Introduction to basic restrictions and reference levels

ARPANSA Exposure Standard: Intro to RF safety relevant guidelines and standards: WHS Act, regulatory authorities, protection authorities, exposure standards, measuring standards, risk management, safety plans | Relevant regulatory and protection authorities: ICNIRP, ARPANSA, ACMA | Introduction to ARPANSA Standard | Basic restrictions: health effects, safety factors | Reference levels derived from basic restrictions | Exposure to multiple fields, spatial averaging, multi-frequency combination | ARPANSA Standard’s tables, graphs and schedules | Verification of compliance and recording | Protection | Application of the ARPANSA Standard | Managing risk  | Training and supervision | Provision of information

Introduction to RF Radiation Hazard Measurement and Computation and Survey Procedures: Introduction to AS/NZS2772.2 | Setting up for the assessment task | Preliminary assessment | Choosing the assessment method | Measurement; choice of technique; measurement procedures; post-processing and finalizing results; sources of uncertainty in measurement | Computation | Reporting of results

RF Safety Procedures and Policies: RF safety training and competencies | RF Safety monitoring and surveillance | RF safety incident management and reporting | RF safety policies and procedures | RF risk management | RF safety records | Procurement and disposal of controlled RF radiation apparatus | RF Safety Plans and arrangements | RF Safety Plan exercise

Level 2 Final Test: Online multiple-choice test (no calculations) —Level 2 certificate awarded on successful completion of the Day 1 Test and a pass of >60% for the Day 2 Test.

Course Brochure

Download the course brochure.

Course Material

The following resources will be provided to attendees of this course:

1. A PDF copy of the PowerPoint presentations used for the course.

2. PDF copies of exercises and examples.

3. A certificate of completion (subject to passing the course evaluations).

Your Presenter

Dr Mike Ryan holds BE, MEngSc and PhD degrees in electrical engineering from the University of New South Wales. He is a Fellow of Engineers Australia (FIEAust), a Chartered Professional Engineer (CPEng) in systems engineering, electrical and ITEE colleges, a Senior Member of IEEE (SMIEEE), a Fellow of the International Council on Systems Engineering (FINCOSE), a Fellow of the Institute of Managers and Leaders (FIML), and a Fellow of the Royal Society of NSW (FRSN). He is the author or co-author of fourteen books, four book chapters, and over 450 refereed journal and conference papers.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is this course suitable for me? This course is suited to those who supervise operators and maintainers of radio transmitting devices, so that they are competent to implement safety plans and safety procedures and can interpret radiation hazard evaluations. This course is also suited to those with more general health and safety responsibilities for workplaces where radio frequency transmitters are present.

Do I need a technical background to complete the course? No. While some familiarity with basic communications principles would be useful, you do not need any particular technical background to complete the course. If you would like to obtain greater familiarity with communications systems and RF in particular, you may wish to attend our Fundamentals of Communications Systems and the Introduction to Radio Frequency Propagation courses.

Which RFRSO Course Do I Need? Choose RFRSO Level 2 if you need a qualitative understanding of RF radiation safety, RF safety procedures and RF safety plans. Choose RFRSO Level 1 if you also need quantitative RF calculations, measurement, computation and survey practice.

Is this course recognised by the Australian Department of Defence? Yes. Successful completion of this course is recognised by the Australian Department of Defence as a qualification for Radiation Frequency Radiation Safety Officer (RFRSO ) Level 2 (RFRSO2).

Can I complete the RFRSO Level 2 qualification without going on to Level 1? Yes. Even though the Level 2 qualification is a pre-requisite for the Level 1 qualification, the two are separate qualifications. You will receive a certificate of completion for this course.

What is the difference between an RFRSO1 and an RFRSO2 qualification. An RFRSO1 performs the higher-level governance, technical, and oversight functions for RF radiation safety. In addition to conducting formal RF surveys, developing local RF safety policy and procedures, interpreting RF hazard calculations, and investigating RF safety incidents, an RFRSO1 is authorized to deliver RF awareness training and train personnel to the RFRSO2 level, and may exercise technical control over one or more RFRSO2 personnel.  An RFRSO2 operates primarily at the unit level, implementing the policies and procedures established by the RFRSO1 and the organisation. RFRSO2 personnel focus on day-to-day RF safety management, hazard assessment, training record maintenance, inspections, and assisting with RF surveys, generally under the technical coordination of an RFRSO1. In summary, the RFRSO1 is the senior RF safety specialist responsible for policy, technical interpretation, training, and oversight, whereas the RFRSO2 is responsible for implementing those requirements and managing RF safety activities at the local operational level.

Testimonials - RFRSO2

Course Testimonials

“Very comprehensive.”

“Examples and content of the package were balanced and understandable.”

“It was a good mix of technical and programmatic.”

“Covered a lot of ground, starting with basic concepts.”

“Good coverage of topics.”

“Great course, you covered a lot of topics which fitted with the Level 2.”

“The content and structure.”

“Provide basic fundamental knowledge about RF for non-engineering background person.”

Presenter Testimonials

“The instructor was very thorough and had effective ways of communicating or contextualising certain topics.”

“Mike was an excellent presenter.”

“Really enjoyed the course, Mike is a fantastic presenter.”

“The instructor was very knowledgeable.”

“Mike’s extensive experience and encyclopaedic knowledge of the topic and ease of explaining complex topics.”

“Mike Ryan’s knowledge and how Mike delivered the course.”

“The ability of Mike to take the complex concepts around the foundational information, e.g. waveforms, harmonics, modulation, antennas, etc, and present just enough, in a clear and simple way was a definite strength.”

Supplementary Material

You may be interested in the following supplementary material:

• ICNIRP Guidelines for Limiting Exposure to Electromagnetic Fields (100 kHz to 300 GHz).

• ARPANSA RPS S-1 Standard for Limiting Exposure to Radiofrequency Fields—100 kHz to 300 GHz.

• Glossary of RF Radiation Safety terms.

• Brief description of Ionizing and Non-ionising Radiation.

• Overview of International RF Exposure Protection Principles contained in the ICNIRP Guidelines.

• Evolution of RF Radiation Safety Standards.

• Typical contents of an RF Safety Plan.

• Responsibilities of RF Radiation Safety Officers.

Related edVirtus Courses

You may also be interested in the related edVirtus courses:

• Fundamentals of Communications Systems.

• One-day Satellite Communications—Overview.

• Three-day Satellite Communications—Intermediate.

• Five-day Satellite Communications—Advanced.

• Introduction to Radio Frequency Propagation.