Health and Safety Information 193Cell Phone Accessories that Claim to Shield theHead from RF RadiationBecause there are no known risks from exposure toRF emissions from cell phones, there is no reason tobelieve that accessories which claim to shield thehead from those emissions reduce risks. Someproducts that claim to shield the user from RFabsorption use special phone cases, while othersinvolve nothing more than a metallic accessoryattached to the phone. Studies have shown thatthese products generally do not work as advertised.Unlike “hands-free” kits, these so-called “shields”may interfere with proper operation of the phone. Thephone may be forced to boost its power tocompensate, leading to an increase in RF absorption.Children and Cell PhonesThe scientific evidence does not show a danger toany users of cell phones from RF exposure, includingchildren and teenagers. The steps adults can take toreduce RF exposure apply to children and teenagersas well.• Reduce the amount of time spent on the cell phone;• Use speaker mode or a headset to place more distancebetween the head and the cell phone.Some groups sponsored by other nationalgovernments have advised that children bediscouraged from using cell phones at all. Forexample, The Stewart Report from the UnitedKingdom made such a recommendation in December2000. In this report, a group of independent expertsnoted that no evidence exists that using a cell phonecauses brain tumors or other ill effects. Theirrecommendation to limit cell phone use by childrenwas strictly precautionary; it was not based onscientific evidence that any health hazard exists.Additional information on the safety of RF exposuresfrom various sources can be obtained from thefollowing organizations (updated 10/1/2010):• FCC RF Safety Program:http://www.fcc.gov/oet/rfsafety/.• Environmental Protection Agency (EPA):http://www.epa.gov/radtown/wireless-tech.html.• Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA):http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/radiofrequencyradiation/.(Note: This web address is case sensitive.)• National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health(NIOSH):http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/.• World Health Organization (WHO):http://www.who.int/peh-emf/en/.• International Commission on Non-Ionizing RadiationProtection:http://www.icnirp.de.• Health Protection Agency:http://www.hpa.org.uk/Topics/Radiation/.• US Food and Drug Administration:http://www.fda.gov/Radiation-EmittingProducts/RadiationEmittingProductsandProcedures/HomeBusinessandEntertainment/CellPhones/default.htm.
