Safety, Regulatory Obligations and Operational Procedures
The final domain tests the responsibilities that survive certification: protecting people from RF and electrical hazards, and keeping an installation lawful once it is on the air. Expect calculation questions on exposure and scenario questions on who is responsible for what.
RF exposure
Health Canada's Safety Code 6, referenced by RSS-102, sets exposure limits with two tiers: a general-public limit and a higher controlled-environment limit for informed, on-duty workers. Limits are averaged over six minutes and are usually expressed as power density, S = EIRP / (4 pi d squared). Antennas on masts must be sited so that accessible areas stay below the applicable limit.
Electrical and physical safety
Work to the Canadian Electrical Code, bond everything to a common ground, fit antenna discharge units, keep clear of overhead power lines, use lockout procedures, and treat batteries, high-voltage supplies and stored energy with respect. RF burns, induced currents and falls from height cause more injuries than any technical fault.
Regulatory obligations
The holder of a licence, or the operator of licence-exempt apparatus, is responsible for its proper operation. ISED inspectors may inspect stations, require interference to be resolved, and order operation to stop. Interference must be corrected at the operator's expense, and records supporting the installation should be kept and produced on request.
Worked example
A 2.45 GHz antenna radiates 100 W EIRP. At 2 m, S = 100 / (4 pi x 4) = 1.99 W/m squared. The general-public reference level near 2.45 GHz is roughly 5.4 W/m squared, so 2 m is compliant. At 1 m, S = 7.96 W/m squared, which exceeds it. The boundary is d = square root of (100 / (4 pi x 5.4)), about 1.2 m, so no accessible position closer than that may be allowed.
Traps that cost marks
Using ERP where EIRP is required in the exposure formula; applying controlled-environment limits to the public; forgetting that several emitters at one site add power density; treating a certification label as proof of operational compliance; and assuming average limits can be judged from peak envelope power.