Pivot Verizon TXT8030 User Manual page 102

research. In some cases, other researchers have had difficulty in
reproducing those studies, or in determining the reasons for inconsistent
results.
2. What is FDA's role concerning the safety of wireless
phones?
Under the law, FDA does not review the safety of radiation-emitting
consumer products such as wireless phones before they can be sold,
as it does with new drugs or medical devices. However, the agency has
authority to take action if wireless phones are shown to emit
radiofrequency energy (RF) at a level that is hazardous to the user. In
such a case, FDA could require the manufacturers of wireless phones
to notify users of the health hazard and to repair, replace or recall the
phones so that the hazard no longer exists. Although the existing
scientific data do not justify FDA regulatory actions, FDA has urged the
wireless phone industry to take a number of steps, including the
following:
• Support needed research into possible biological effects of RF of the
type emitted by wireless phones;
• Design wireless phones in a way that minimizes any RF exposure to
the user that is not necessary for device function; and
• Cooperate in providing users of wireless phones with the best
possible information on possible effects of wireless phone use on
human health. FDA belongs to an interagency working group of the
federal agencies that have responsibility for different aspects of RF
safety to ensure coordinated efforts at the federal level. The following
agencies belong to this working group:
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• National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Environmental Protection Agency
• Federal Communications Commission
• Occupational Safety and Health Administration
• National Telecommunications and Information Administration The
National Institutes of Health participates in some inter-agency working
group activities, as well. FDA shares regulatory responsibilities for
wireless phones with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).
All phones that are sold in the United States must comply with FCC
safety guidelines that limit RF exposure. FCC relies on FDA and other
health agencies for safety questions about wireless phones. FCC also
regulates the base stations that the wireless phone networks rely upon.
While these base stations operate at higher power than do the wireless
phones themselves, the RF exposures that people get from these base
stations are typically thousands of times lower than those they can get
from wireless phones. Base stations are thus not the subject of the
safety questions discussed in this document.
3. What kinds of phones are the subject of this update?
The term "wireless phone" refers here to hand-held wireless phones
with built-in antennas, often called "cell," "mobile," or "PCS" phones.
These types of wireless phones can expose the user to measurable
radiofrequency energy (RF) because of the short distance between the
phone and the user's head. These RF exposures are limited by Federal
Communications Commission safety guidelines that were developed
with the advice of FDA and other federal health and safety agencies.
When the phone is located at greater distances from the user, the