FAQs

1999 the Minister of Public Health asked the National Radiological Protection Board (NRPB) to set up an independent expert group to examine the possible effects on health of mobile phone telecommunication technologies. The group under the chairmanship of Sir William Stewart published its report in May 2000. The report recommended the establishment of a register of occupationally exposed workers to facilitate studies into cancer incidence, mortality and other potential harmful effects. This would help determine whether such workers have any higher incidence than would normally be expected in the general population.

The IEGMP report of 2000 recommended that a single register be established - collecting and storing the data in a consistent and uniform way facilitattes the robust exploration of any health effects envisaged by the Stewart report.

The Register aims to create a record of those occupationally exposed to RF.  Within this cohort there will necessarily be a diverse range of job titles and exposures for the purposes of the initial follow-up study these job titles will be placed into one of three exposure categories high, medium and low based on existing knowledge of the exposure regimes encountered within the various work environments. 

There has been speculation that long-term RF exposure might cause adverse health effects, both occupationally and in the general public. This is the first Register of its kind yet established to investigate whether there are any effects of long-term occupational RF exposure. The participation of as many eligible individuals as possible is essential if we are to ensure meaningful analysis of any health effects.  

There is no formal requirement for companies to promote the Register amongst their workforce. We do hope however that senior managers and health and safety advisors will see the benefit in recommending to their employees they enrol. Ultimately offering another demonstration to their workforce of how seriously they take their occupational health. 

The IAHR were invited by the HSE and the Register Steering Group to tender a proposal for the administration of the Register. The tender was successful and the IAHR have fulfilled the role since 2002. Primarily their work has involved the identification and recruitment of individuals to the Register and organizing and formatting the central database. The IAHR and the University also assume responsibility for the secure storage of the data and its use in the initial follow-up study. 

A guide to the Universities data protection policy can be found by clicking here. 

The information that will be securely held for each individual consists of:

• Name
• Date of birth
• Gender
• Home address or first three characters of the postcode
• Job title
• Length of time in current post (years)
• Total number of years employed in jobs involving RF exposure
• Details of any known high exposure incidents experienced

NO! The Register will not have access to any of your medical records.

The data submitted to the register by an individual remains the property of that individual as such it can be accessed at any time. 

YES! All the information provided to the IAHR is entirely confidential to the study. It will be dealt with in the strictest confidence by the Research Team, held in a secure database and not passed on to any third party other than those involved in the subsequent analysis of data.

The purpose of establishing this register is to investigate whether there are any harmful effects of RF radiation at the levels experienced occupationally. The ICNIRP guidelines are designed to limit heating to acceptable levels. Any future study should be capable of investigating and hopefully providing reassurance in relation to, non-thermal effects as well as thermal effects.

ICNIRP is an independent non profit scientific body. ICNIRP is governed by a Charter which outlines the statutes of its activities and ICNIRP’s commitment to independence and transparency. Here is how the independence of ICNIRP is safeguarded.

The ICNIRP advice is developed by scientists selected on the basis of their expertise and independence. The ICNIRP members do not represent their country nor their institute. ICNIRP does not permit people to become a member if they are employed by industry or another organisation that could benefit financially from any particular ICNIRP advice. They are required to comply with the ICNIRP policy of independence and declare their personal interests. All declarations are publicly available on the ICNIRP website. 

ICNIRP does not receive any funds from industry. ICNIRP’s funds stem from grants provided by non-profit governmental and scientific organisations and institutions. Information about the ICNIRP budget is provided transparently on its website and in its annual report accessible from there. 

These are the key elements to ICNIRP’s commitment to independence and transparency, which are fundamental to carrying out its scientific mission.

Ref: ICNIRP Website and ICNIRP Statement "A Description of ICNIRP’s Independent, Best Practice System Of Guidance On The Protection Of People And The Environment From Exposure To Non-Ionizing Radiation" (in press)  

The ICNIRP guidelines differentiate between occupationally-exposed individuals and members of the general public. Occupationally-exposed individuals are defined as adults who are exposed under controlled conditions associated with their occupational duties, trained to be aware of potential radiofrequency EMF risks and to employ appropriate harm-mitigation measures, and who have the sensory and behavioral capacity for such awareness and harm-mitigation response. An occupationally-exposed worker must also be subject to an appropriate health and safety program that provides the above information and protection. The general public is defined as individuals of all ages and of differing health statuses, which includes more vulnerable groups or individuals, and who may have no knowledge of or control over their exposure to EMFs. These differences suggest the need to include more stringent restrictions for the general public, as members of the general public would not be suitably trained to mitigate harm, or may not have the capacity to do so. Occupationally-exposed individuals are not deemed to be at greater risk than the general public, providing that appropriate screening and training is provided to account for all known risks. Note that a fetus is [here] defined as a member of the general public, regardless of exposure scenario, and is subject to the general public restrictions. 

Ref: ICNIRP RF Guidelines (ICNIRP. Guidelines for limiting exposure to electromagnetic fields (100 kHz to 300 GHz). Health Phys 118(5):483-524; 2020.)