User's Manual
What about children using wireless
phones?
The scientic evidence does not show a danger to
users
of wireless phones, including children and
teenagers.
If you want to take steps to lower
exposure to radio
frequency energy (RF), the
measures described above
would apply to children
and teenagers using wireless
phones. Reducing the
time of wireless phone use and
increasing the
distance between the user and the RF
source will
reduce RF exposure.
Some groups sponsored by other national
governments
have advised that children be
discouraged from using
wireless phones at all. For
example, the government in
the United Kingdom
distributed leaets containing such a
recommendation in December 2000. They noted
that no
evidence exists that using a wireless phone
causes brain
tumors or other ill effects. Their
recommendation to limit
wireless phone use by
children was strictly precautionary;
it was not based
on scientific evidence that any health
hazard exists.
Do hands-free kits for wireless phones
reduce risks
from exposure to RF
emissions?
Since there are no known risks from exposure to RF
emissions from wireless phones, there is no reason
to believe that hands-free kits reduce risks. Handsfree
kits can be used with wireless phones for
convenience
and comfort. These systems reduce
the absorption of
RF energy in the head because the
phone, which is the
source of the RF emissions, will
not be placed against
the head. On the other hand,
if the phone is mounted
against the waist or other
part of the body during use,
then that part of the
body will absorb more RF energy.
Wireless phones
marketed in the U.S. are required to
meet safety
requirements regardless of whether they
are used
against the head or against the body. Either
conguration should result in compliance with the
safety
limit.
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 debrillators
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.
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.
“The wireless industry reminds you to
use your phone
safely when driving.”
For more information, please call 1-888-901-SAFE,
or
visit our web-site www.wow-com.com
Provided by the Cellular Telecommunications &
Internet
Association
5. Do not take notes or look up phone
numbers while
driving. Jotting down a “to
do” list or ipping through
your address
book takes attention away from your
primary responsibility, driving safely.
6. Dial sensibly and assess the trafc; if
possible, place
calls when you are not
moving or before pulling
into traffic. Try
to plan calls when your car will be
stationary. If you need to make a call
while moving,
dial only a few numbers,
check the road and your
mirrors, then
continue.
7. Do not engage in stressful or emotional
conversations
that may be distracting.
Make people you are talking
with aware
you are driving and suspend
conversations
that have the potential to
divert your attention from
the road.
8. Use your wireless phone to call for help.
Dial 9-1-1
or other local emergency
number in the case of re,
trafc accident
or medical emergencies. Remember,
it is
a free call on your wireless phone!
9. Us e y our wire les s ph one to help ot hers in
emergencies. If you see an auto accident,
crime in
progress or other serious
emergency where lives are
in danger, call
9-1-1 or other local emergency number,
as you would want others to do for you.
10.Call roadside assistance or a special nonemergency
wireless assistance number
when necessary. If you
see a brokendown
vehicle posing no serious hazard,
a
broken trafc signal, a minor trafc
accident where
no one appears injured,
or a vehicle you know to
be stolen, call
roadside assistance or other special
nonemergency number.
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/
Occupational Safety and Health
Administration’s (OSHA):
http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/
radiofrequencyradiation/index.html
National institute for Occupational Safety
and Health
(NIOSH):http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/emfpg.html
World health Organization (WHO):
http://www.who.
int/peh-emf/
International Commission on Non-
Ionizing Radiation
Protection:
http://www.icnirp.de
National Radiation Protection Board (UK):
http://www.
nrpb.org.uk
Updated 4/3/2002: US food and Drug
Administration
http://www.fda.gov/cellphones
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Operating Environment
Remember to follow any special regulations in force
in
any area and always switch your phone off
whenever it is
forbidden to use it, or when it may
cause interference or
danger. When connecting the
phone or any accessory to
another device, read itsvuser’s guide for detailed safety
instructions. Do not
connect incompatible products.
As with other mobile radio transmitting equipment,
users are advised that for the satisfactory operation
of the equipment and for the safety of personnel, it is
recommended that the equipment should only be
used
in the normal operating position (held to your
ear with the
antenna pointing over your shoulder).
Using Your Phone Near Other
Electronic Devices
Most modern electronic equipment is shielded from
radio frequency (RF) signals. However, certain
electronic
equipment may not be shielded against
the RF signals
from your wireless phone. Consult the
manufacturer to
discuss alternatives.
Pacemakers
Pacemaker manufacturers recommend that a
minimum
distance of 15 cm (6 inches) be
maintained between
a wireless phone and a
pacemaker to avoid potential
interference with the
pacemaker.
These recommendations are consistent with the
independent research and recommendations of
Wireless
Technology Research.
Persons with pacemakers:
should always keep the phone more than
15 cm
(6
inches) from their pacemaker when
the phone is
switched on.
should not carry the phone in a breast
pocket.
should use the ear opposite thevpacemaker to
minimize potential
interference.
If you have any reason to suspect that interference is
taking place, switch your phone off immediately.
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Potentially Explosive Environments
Switch your phone off when in any area with a
potentially
explosive atmosphere and obey all signs
and instructions.
Sparks in such areas could cause
an explosion or fire
resulting in bodily injury or even
death.
Users are advised to switch the phone off while at a
refueling point (service station). Users are reminded
of the need to observe restrictions on the use of
radio
equipment in fuel depots (fuel storage and
distribution
areas), chemical plants or where blasting
operations are
in progress.
Areas with a potentially explosive atmosphere are
often
but not always clearly marked. They include
below
deck on boats, chemical transfer or storage
facilities,
vehicles using liqueed petroleum gas
(such as propane
or butane), areas where the air
contains chemicals or
particles, such as grain, dust
or metal powders, and any
other area where you
would normally be advised to turn
off your vehicle
engine.
Other Medical Devices
If you use any other personal medical devices,
consult
the manufacturer of your device to determine
if it is
adequately shielded from external RF energy.
Your physician may be able to assist you in obtaining
this
information. Switch your phone off in health care
facilities
when any regulations posted in these areas
instruct you
to do so. Hospitals or health care
facilities may be using
equipment that could be
sensitive to external RF energy.
Vehicles
RF signals may affect improperly installed or
inadequately
shielded electronic systems in motor
vehicles. Check
with the manufacturer or its
representative regarding your
vehicle. You should
also consult the manufacturer of any
equipment that
has been added to your vehicle.
Posted Facilities
Switch your phone off in any facility where posted
notices
require you to do so.
Road Safety
Your wireless phone gives you the powerful ability to
communicate by voice, almost anywhere, anytime.
But an important responsibility accompanies the
benets
of wireless phones, one that every user
must uphold.
When driving a car, driving is your rst responsibility.
When using your wireless phone behind the
wheel
of a car, practice good common sense and
remember the following tips:
1. Get to know your wireless phone and its
features,
such as speed dial and redial. If
available, these
features help you to place
your call without taking
your attention off
the road.
2. When available, use a hands-free device.
If possible,
add an additional layer of
convenience and safety to
your wireless
phone with one of the many hands free
accessories available today.
3. Position your wireless phone within easy
reach. Be
able to access your wireless
phone without removing
your eyes from
the road. If you get an incoming call at
an
inconvenient time, let your voice mail
answer it for you.
4. Let the person you are speaking with
know you are
driving; if necessary,
suspend the call in heavy trafc
or
hazardous weather conditions. Rain,
sleet, snow, ice
and even heavy trafc
can be hazardous.