CHAPTER 3
RADAR SAFETY
INTRODUCTION
Throughout your military career, you will be
“bombarded” with safety slogans, rules, and
procedures concerning almost every job that you do.
There is a reason for this. Your command is trying to
keep you alive and well. Your part in this process is to
become safety “conscious” to the point that you
approach every job from the safety point of view. In
this chapter, we will address the specific safety
measures and devices associated with operating and
maintaining radar equipment.
RADIATION SAFETY
One of the hazards associated with maintaining
radar equipment is exposure to RFR (Radio Frequency
Radiation). Radar peak power may reach a million
watts or more. Therefore, you must remain aware of
the RFR hazards that exist near radar transmitting
antennas. These hazards are present not only in front of
an antenna but also to its sides and sometimes even
behind it because of spillover and reflection. Exposure
to excessive amounts of radiation can produce bodily
injuries ranging from minor to major (Think of how
food is cooked in a microwave oven.). The extent of
injuries depends on the RFR frequency and the time of
exposure. At some frequencies, exposure to excessive
levels of radiation will produce a noticeable sensation
of pain or discomfort to let you know that you have
been injured. At other frequencies, you will have no
warning of injury. If you suspect any injury, see your
ship’s doctor or corpsman. Be sure to acquaint yourself
with the actual radiation hazard zones of the radar on
your ship.
Whenever you work around radar equipment,
observe the following precautions to avoid being
exposed to harmful RFR:
Do not inspect feedhorns, open ends of
waveguides or any opening emitting RFR energy
visually unless you are sure that the equipment is
definitely secured for that purpose.
Observe all RFR hazard (RADHAZ) warning
signs (fig. 3-8). They point out the existence of
RFR hazards in a specific location or area.
Ensure that radiation hazard warning signs are
available and used.
Ensure that radar antennas that normally rotate
are rotated continuously or that they are trained
to a known safe bearing while they are radiating.
HAZARDS OF ELECTROMAGNETIC
RADIATION
Studies have shown that humans cannot easily
sense electromagnetic radiation (EMR), also referred
to as radio frequency radiation (RFR). Furthermore,
EMR at frequencies between 10 kilohertz (kHz) and
300 gigahertz (GHz) presents a hazard to humans and
to some materials. Since radiation at these frequencies
i s c o m m o n i n t h e N a v y ’s e l e c t r o m a g n e t i c
environment, its presence must be detected and
announced to ensure the safety of personnel involved
3-1
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Upon completing this section, you should be able to:
1. Identify and explain the radiation hazards associated with maintaining and
operating radar.
2. Identify the safety precautions associated with maintaining radar equipment.
3. Identify safety devices associated with maintaining radar equipment.
4. Identify other hazards associated with maintaining radar equipment.
