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Safety
174
Frequency (RF) energy at a level that is hazardous to the user. In such a
case, the FDA could require the manufacturers of wireless devices to notify
users of the health hazard and to repair, replace, or recall the devices so
that the hazard no longer exists. Although the existing scientific data do not
justify FDA regulatory actions, the FDA has urged the wireless device
industry to take a number of steps, including the following:
• Support needed research into possible biological effects of RF of the type
emitted by wireless devices;
• Design wireless devices in a way that minimizes any RF exposure to the
user that is not necessary for device function; and
• Cooperate in providing users of wireless devices with the best possible
information on possible effects of wireless device use on human health.
The FDA belongs to an interagency working group of the federal agencies
that have responsibility for different aspects of RF safety to ensure
coordinated efforts at the federal level. The following agencies belong to
this working group:
• National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Environmental Protection Agency
• Occupational Safety and Health Administration
• National Telecommunications and Information Administration
The National Institutes of Health participates in some interagency working
group activities, as well.
The FDA shares regulatory responsibilities for wireless devices with the
Federal Communications Commission (FCC). All devices that are sold in the
United States must comply with FCC safety guidelines that limit RF
exposure. The FCC relies on the FDA and other health agencies for safety
questions about wireless devices.
The FCC also regulates the base stations that the wireless device networks
rely upon. While these base stations operate at higher power than do the
wireless devices themselves, the RF exposures that people get from these
base stations are typically thousands of times lower than those they can
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