Businesses operating in healthcare, mining, telecommunications and other radiation-dependent industries have been urged to strengthen safety systems and invest in qualified professionals as Ghana seeks to improve radiation protection and regulatory compliance.
Professor Joseph Amoako, President of the Ghana Association of Radiation Professionals (GARP), said effective radiation safety required competent personnel, adequate infrastructure and a clear regulatory framework to protect workers, patients and the public.
He said businesses that used radiation-related technologies needed to prioritise safety standards and professional competence as technological applications expanded across the economy.
Prof. Amoako made the call at the maiden Non-Ionizing Radiation Symposium organised by GARP as part of the 2026 Radiation Protection Week, under the theme, “Radiation Safety: Protecting the Public, Patients, Workers, and the Environment.”
His comments highlight the importance of radiation protection not only as a public health issue but also as a business responsibility, particularly for companies whose operations depend on medical imaging, telecommunications equipment, industrial applications and mining technologies.
For such businesses, inadequate safety systems and insufficiently trained personnel could create operational, regulatory and reputational risks, while investment in professional expertise and appropriate safeguards could support safer and more reliable operations.
Prof. Amoako said radiation protection was necessary across sectors using both ionizing and non-ionizing radiation, stressing the need for qualified professionals who understood the risks associated with different technologies.
Ionizing radiation has sufficient energy to affect human cells and DNA, while non-ionizing radiation generally has lower energy but can produce heating and other effects in biological tissues.
Common sources of non-ionizing radiation include mobile phones, microwave ovens, antennas, visible light, lasers and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) devices.
Demand grows for radiation protection expertise
Prof. Amoako said GARP was advocating the training of competent health physics and radiation protection professionals to support industries where radiation technologies were used.
These included mining and extractive operations, telecommunications companies and healthcare facilities such as diagnostic imaging and radiotherapy centres.
For businesses, developing this professional capacity could help strengthen workplace safety, support compliance with applicable standards and ensure that radiation-related equipment was operated appropriately.
He also called for a strong licensing regime to ensure that practitioners possessed the necessary knowledge and experience to perform their duties safely.
The proposal points to the importance of building a skilled workforce alongside investment in equipment and technology, particularly as industries adopt more sophisticated systems.
A clearly defined and streamlined legal and regulatory framework, he said, would help address radiation safety across sectors and protect people who might be exposed to radiation sources at work or in public spaces.
Telecom operators face growing demand for transparency
Dr Roland Yaw Kudozia, Head of Resource Market, Access and Compliance at the National Communications Authority (NCA), called for increased public education, continuous testing and scientific research to address concerns about radiofrequency emissions from telecommunications infrastructure and devices.
He explained that wireless communications relied on radio waves, with mobile phones connecting to base stations through designated portions of the radiofrequency spectrum.
Dr Kudozia said the NCA worked with the Ghana Standards Authority and industry stakeholders to establish common technical standards, while imported mobile phones underwent approval processes to meet minimum safety specifications.
He stressed that transparent communication of radiation measurements was important in helping consumers understand the levels considered safe.
“The mere fact that we know that studies have found out that these things are safe doesn’t mean that we go and sleep. We must always do studies and research to ensure that we are still safe,” he said.
For telecommunications businesses, the call reinforces the importance of maintaining technical standards, supporting ongoing monitoring and communicating clearly with the public about compliance and safety.
Such measures could help address consumer concerns about mobile devices and network infrastructure while strengthening confidence in the technologies underpinning digital services.
5G expansion brings safety communication into focus
Dr Kudozia said fifth-generation mobile technology, or 5G, offered faster data speeds and greater bandwidth than earlier generations of mobile networks, supporting quicker internet access and data-intensive activities.
As telecommunications infrastructure develops, public understanding of radiofrequency exposure and the scientific evidence surrounding it will remain important to the adoption of new technologies.
Prof. Amoako said concerns about mobile phones and other electronic devices, including claims linking them to cancer and other diseases, required public education grounded in scientific evidence.
He said the symposium was intended to provide accurate information, address misconceptions and allow experts to respond to questions about non-ionizing radiation.
The broader business implication is that technological expansion must be accompanied by appropriate safety practices, effective regulation and credible public communication.
For Ghana, strengthening radiation protection capacity could support safer workplaces, improve confidence in radiation-dependent technologies and help businesses meet their responsibilities as industrial and digital applications continue to expand.
