Samsung SPH-A303ZDASKE - Manual (Page 157)

Section 15: Health and Safety Information 157
Consumer Information on Wireless Phones
they are used against the head or against the body. Either configuration should result in
compliance with the safety limit.
Do wireless phone accessories that claim to shield the head from RF radiation work?
Since there are no known risks from exposure to RF emissions from wireless phones, there
is no reason to believe that accessories that claim to shield the head from those emissions
reduce risks. Some products that claim to shield the user from RF absorption use special
phone cases, while others involve nothing more than a metallic accessory attached to the
phone. Studies have shown that these products generally do not work as advertised. Unlike
"hand-free" kits, these so-called "shields" may interfere with proper operation of the phone.
The phone may be forced to boost its power to compensate, leading to an increase in RF
absorption. In February 2002, the Federal trade Commission (FTC) charged two companies
that sold devices that claimed to protect wireless phone users from radiation with making false
and unsubstantiated claims. According to FTC, these defendants lacked a reasonable basis
to substantiate their claim.
What about wireless phone interference with medical equipment?
Radio frequency energy (RF) from wireless phones can interact with some electronic devices.
For this reason, FDA helped develop a detailed test method to measure electromagnetic
interference (EMI) of implanted cardiac pacemakers and defibrillators from wireless
telephones. This test method is now part of a standard sponsored by the Association for the
Advancement of Medical instrumentation (AAMI). The final draft, a joint effort by FDA, medical
device manufacturers, and many other groups, was completed in late 2000. This standard
will allow manufacturers to ensure that cardiac pacemakers and defibrillators are safe from
wireless phone EMI. FDA has tested wireless phones and helped develop a voluntary standard
sponsored by the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE). This standard specifies
test methods and performance requirements for hearing aids and wireless phones so that no
interference occurs when a person uses a compatible phone and a compatible hearing aid at
the same time. This standard was approved by the IEEE in 2000.
FDA continues to monitor the use of wireless phones for possible interactions with other
medical devices. Should harmful interference be found to occur, FDA will conduct testing to
assess the interference and work to resolve the problem.
Additional information on the safety of RF exposures from various sources can be obtained
from the following organizations:
•
FCC RF Safety Program:
http://www.fcc.gov/oet/rfsafety/
•
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA):
http://www.epa.gov/radiation/