How much power per dipole is considered safe for RF workers near FM antennas?
As you know, the amount of power per dipole is dependent upon many factors, including: distance from the RF source (dipole), power, parasitic elements, frequency, other RF sources and more. FM antennas are particularly “hot” given the frequency is relatively close to a man’s height. As a starting point, I would suggest you reduce power to 500 watts per bay and take field readings 10 feet away from the antenna. If the readings are within the safe zone for un-protected workers, you could try to increase power gradually until the ambient RF energy starts to approach un-safe limits. This way you can create a RF safety policy for this tower for future use. You should perform this at each site, since other environmental factors come into play. You should also refer to FCC OET Bulletin 65 for Broadcasters requirements for worker safety. 5. What are the requirements for fencing around towers? This is primarily a safety and liability issue and not a regulation that I am aware of. Of course, loc
