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Section 4A: Safety Guidelines 206
opened. The FDA has stated that ovens that meet its standards and are used
according to the manufacturer's recommendations are safe for consumer and
industrial use. More information is available from: www.fda.gov/cdrh.
The EPA has, in the past, considered developing federal guidelines for public
exposure to RF radiation. However, EPA activities related to RF safety and
health are presently limited to advisory functions. For example, the EPA now
chairs an Inter-agency Radiofrequency Working Group, which coordinates RF
health-related activities among the various federal agencies with health or
regulatory responsibilities in this area.
OSHA is responsible for protecting workers from exposure to hazardous
chemical and physical agents. In 1971, OSHA issued a protection guide for
exposure of workers to RF radiation [29 CFR 1910.97]. However, this guide
was later ruled to be only advisory and not mandatory. Moreover, it was based
on an earlier RF exposure standard that has now been revised. At the present
time, OSHA uses the IEEE and/or FCC exposure guidelines for enforcement
purposes under OSHA's “general duty clause” (for more information see:
http://www.osha-slc.gov/SLTC/radiofrequencyradiation/index.html.
NIOSH is part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. It
conducts research and investigations into issues related to occupational
exposure to chemical and physical agents. NIOSH has, in the past, undertaken
to develop RF exposure guidelines for workers, but final guidelines were never
adopted by the agency. NIOSH conducts safety-related RF studies through its
Physical Agents Effects Branch in Cincinnati, Ohio.
The NTIA is an agency of the U.S. Department of Commerce and is responsible
for authorizing Federal Government use of the RF electromagnetic spectrum.
Like the FCC, the NTIA also has NEPA responsibilities and has considered
adopting guidelines for evaluating RF exposure from U.S. Government
transmitters such as radar and military facilities.
The Department of Defense (DOD) has conducted research on the biological
effects of RF energy for a number of years. This research is now conducted
primarily at the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory located at Brooks Air Force
Base, Texas. The DOD Web site for RF biological effects information is listed
with other sites in conjunction with a question on other sources of
information, below.
Who funds and carries out research on the biological effects of
RF energy?
Research into possible biological effects of RF energy is carried out in
laboratories in the United States and around the world. In the U.S., most
research has been funded by the Department of Defense, due to the extensive
military use of RF equipment such as radar and high-powered radio
transmitters. In addition, some federal agencies responsible for health and
safety, such as the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Food
and Drug Administration (FDA), have sponsored and conducted research in this
area. At the present time, most of the non-military research on biological
effects of RF energy in the U.S. is being funded by industry organizations. More
research is being carried out overseas, particularly in Europe.