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25. Which other federal agencies have responsibilities related to potential
RF health effects?
Certain agencies in the Federal Government have been involved in
monitoring, researching or regulating issues related to human
exposure to RF radiation. These agencies include the Food and Drug
Administration (FDA), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA),
the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), the
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), the
National Telecommunications and Information Administration
(NTIA) and the Department of Defense (DOD).
By authority of the Radiation Control for Health and Safety Act of
1968, the Center for Devices and Radiological Health (CDRH) of the
FDA develops performance standards for the emission of radiation
from electronic products including X-ray equipment, other medical
devices, television sets, microwave ovens, laser products and
sunlamps. The CDRH established a product performance standard
for microwave ovens in 1971 limiting the amount of RF leakage from
ovens. However, the CDRH has not adopted performance standards
for other RF-emitting products. The FDA is, however, the lead federal
health agency in monitoring the latest research developments and
advising other agencies with respect to the safety of RF-emitting
products used by the public, such as cellular and PCS phones.
The FDA's microwave oven standard is an emission standard (as
opposed to an exposure standard) that allows specific levels of
microwave leakage (measured at five centimeters from the oven
surface). The standard also requires ovens to have two independent
interlock systems that prevent the oven from generating microwaves
the moment that the latch is released or the door of the oven is
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
Section 4: Safety Guidelines and Warranty Information
4A: Safety 227