SRP3 (02)

Embargo until 0.01 Thursday 27 June 2002

Mobile mannequin will help protect aircraft workers

Anyone today who travels on an aeroplane or visits a hospital will be familiar with signs asking them not to use their mobile phone, laptop or pocket PC because it could interfere with equipment.  How much thought, though, do we give to the possible effects that flying near a TV transmitter mast or over an airfield packed with radar equipment could have on the communications systems or on-board computers of passing aircraft?

Radiofrequency (RF) emissions from transmitters of all kinds can create a range of problems to electronic stystems, from causing interference to navigational aids and communications systems to inadvertently setting off electroexplosive devices installed in ejector seats, weapons systems  or the firebottles ready to flood an engine with gas in the event of a fire.  Whilst all transmitters have safety barriers to prevent public access (and presumably conform with appropriate legislation), people who accidentally get too near powerful RF signals – from whatever source -  could be badly burned by localised tissue-heating effects, suffer heatstress or problems with devices like pacemakers.

Testing aircraft components and navigational aids intended for use in military aircraft against possible RF threats is therefore a vital safety process for BAE SYSTEMS.  Getting it wrong can have very serious consequences, as in 1967 when over a hundred people were killed on board the aircraft carrier USS Forrestal in an explosion believed to have been caused when an on-deck radar illuminated a missile on an aircraft.

As well as Warton Aerodrome’s own electromagnetic testing facility -  where components are subjected to RF signals to see if they are affected – other on-board system checks which are carried out include placing a full-size human-equivalent dummy in the cockpit and detecting the temperature rise in the body when RF fields are present.

There are also regular RF checks all over the airfield, including monitoring that all equipment confirms with national and international radiation protection guidelines and that there are no time-varying RF effects in the vicinity of fuel stores that could spark an explosion.  The implications of possible new buildings and transmitters are also carefully assessed  Staff are currently planning to develop a mobile mannequin, fully instrumented with radiation monitoring devices at the wrist, neck and ankles, that they will be able to take round the site and sit in areas where there is a perceived possible risk.
 

Notes for editors
1. This release is based on the paper ‘The use of RF in aerospace and the safety issues’ to be given by Chris Lane (BAE Systems) at The Society for Radiological Protection’s  one-day  meeting, ‘Radio Wave Exposures – a Cause for Concern?’ held at Ribby Hall Conference Centre, near Preston, Lancashire on 27 June 2002.

2. Accredited journalists are welcome to free registration to attend this meeting. The Institute of Physics’ Press Office is handling media arrangements for this meeting, please contact Dianne Stilwell at the Institute Tel: +44 (0)20 7470 4875, Fax: +44 (0)20 7470 4848, E-mail: dianne.stilwell@iop.org if you would like to attend. The meeting programme and further information can be found on the Society for Radiological Protection’s Web page http://www.srp-uk.org/eventjun02.html.

3. Further information on this paper is available from Mr Christopher Lane, BAE Systems, Warton Aerodrome, tel 01772 855784 (christopher.lane@baesystems.com)

4. During the meeting itself please contact the Society's press officer, Brian Gornall. He will be available from 09.00 to 16.00 hours on Thursday 27 June 2002. To contact him during that time, call the reception desk on Tel: +44 (0)1772 674427, Mobile: +44 (0)78 3666 7163, Fax: +44 (0)1772 672734 (mark 'SRP urgent').

5. The Society for Radiological Protection was founded in 1963, the Society now has nearly 2000 members, including International members, and is the leading Scientific Society in the UK for all who are professionally concerned with safety aspects of uses of ionising and non-ionising radiation in education, central and local government, industry, medicine and research.

The Society has the following objectives :-

•  to promote and advance the science of radiological protection and allied fields;
• to promote, advance and disseminate to the public advantage, knowledge of radiological protection and allied fields;
• to encourage, support, promote and advance education and learning in radiological protection and allied fields;
• to promote and encourage high scientific, educational, regulatory and professional standards in radiological protection and allied fields.

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