Developing a Regulatory Compliance Arrangement for Electromagnetic Radiation Exposure from Radio Transmitters Based on Health and Safety Considerations in Australia

Abstract

This paper reports on the Australian Communications Authority (ACA) project to introduce compliance arrangements for Electromagnetic Radiation (EMR) exposure from radio transmitters. In June 1997 the legislative basis for technical standards, under the Australian Radiocommunications Act of 1992, was amended to include the power to limit the emission of EMR from radio transmitters based on health and safety considerations, In November 1997 the ACA consulted with communication industry stakeholders and community groups on the principal elements of the compliance arrangements: the public exposure limits in the Australian exposure standard and the compliance demonstration arrangements based on self-declaration. In May 1998 the ACA's Radio Communications Council (RCC) Working Group on electromagnetic compatibility and electromagnetic radiation adopted a management plan and timetable to develop and introduce an EMR compliance regime within 2 years. The management approach for developing the compliance arrangements is open and consultative and includes community and industry stakeholders. Radio transmitters are divided into two groups for compliance purposes: those whose performance could reasonably be controlled by manufacturers, for example, devices with integral antennas such as mobile phones, and secondly, those whose performance is a function of the installation and operation of the transmitter for example mobile base stations. For the first group manufacturers, importers, and agents will have responsibility for the compliance arrangements; they will include labeling with a compliance mark, making a self-declaration statement maintaining a compliance folder, a regulatory standard (including EMR requirements and test methodology), accreditation for test laboratories, evidence of compliance (test reports), and random auditing. For the second group licensees, through condition of licence, must comply with the requirements in a regulatory standard and the compliance arrangements. These include a self-declaration statement, use of approved laboratories for conducting measurements evidence of compliance (test or assessment reports), and random auditing. For each group of radio transmitters the extent to which the elements of the compliance arrangements are applied is limited by further categorisation of the radio transmitters based on the level of emission. On 1 February 1999 the ACA introduced mandatory EMR requirements for mobile phones and their base stations using self-declaratory compliance principles.