All mobile phone models sold in Australia are designed, built and tested to meet strict science-based safety standards, which include the added precaution of a safety margin to ensure they can be used safely by the general public.

These safety standards are recognised by national and international health agencies, including the World Health Organization (WHO), which says they provide ample protection for all members of the community, including children.

Check for the ‘A-tick’ under the battery

Consumers can check their mobile phones to see the “A-tick” stamped on the phone (usually under the battery). The A-tick on phones indicates they operate below the Australian safety limit when tested using internationally agreed compliance procedures.

What is the A-Tick mark?

The A-Tick is a compliance mark produced by the Australian Communications and Media Authority (the ACMA) for telecommunications items. It gives consumers confidence that a telecommunications item meets the safety and technical standards set by the ACMA.

What does the A-Tick look like?

 The A-Tick compliance label consists of the A-Tick mark and a supplier code number issued by the ACMA or some other form of supplier identification.

What does the A-Tick mean?

The A-Tick indicates that an item is compliant with the mandatory technical standards and can legally be connected to a telecommunications network. The A-Tick compliance label will appear on items such as fixed and mobile phones, answering machines, facsimile machines and modems.

Consumers can also check their mobile model’s Specific Absorption Rate (SAR) value to see if it operates within the safety standard limit, which can be found in the user manual, on manufacturers’ websites or by calling customer service numbers. Also, the Australian Consumer Association publishes SAR values in their regular reviews in ‘Choice’ magazine of the latest phone models sold in Australia.

A phone model’s SAR value is obtained from a compliance test of the handset operating at maximum power output and measures the rate of radiofrequency energy absorption in the head and body from the mobile handset. Although the SAR compliance tests are at maximum power output, mobile phones in normal everyday use operate at much lower power levels, always adapting to the minimum power required to make a call in order to preserve battery life, maximise call time and avoid network interference.

Phones are tested when used near the ear and for when body worn

 SAR testing is conducted when the phone is held against the ear in normal use positions and also for body-worn positions – when the phone is carried in a belt clip or to reflect the separation created by clothing.

When a phone is used to make a voice call and held to the ear the phone’s antenna is usually angled or positioned away from the head because of the handset’s design and configuration.

These small differences in how close a phone’s antenna is held to your head or body make very large differences to the amount of radio waves absorbed.

The information in mobile phone manuals reflects how phones are tested for compliance and how they should be used to ensure they meet standards at maximum power levels. They typically advise owners about best practices when using mobile phones and to only use them in the intended use positions, such as next to the ear, when making or receiving a call.

Product manual recommendations for use

 Manufacturers recommend that mobiles when used near the body have a small separation distance from the torso to ensure compliance with SAR limits at maximum output. They recommend that consumers carrying a mobile on their body maintain a separation distance – usually between 15mm to 25mm – to keep the antenna away from their body. Also, mobile phones generally get better reception when used away from the main part of the body.

Consumers should read the manufacturers’ manuals and comply with their recommendations for use, including the separation distance for body worn.

However, it should be noted that the recommended body-worn separation distances do not apply when using a phone to make a voice call held to the ear because phones are separately tested to ensure they comply with safety standard limits in these normal use positions.

The test procedures measure each model of mobile phone at distances intended to represent belt-clips, holsters or similar accessories or at a small distance from the trunk of the body to simulate the effect of clothing or the intended type of use. It is this distance that is included in user manuals.

Consumers sometimes ask: “Is it OK to carry a phone in a pocket or on a belt clip?” Using a belt-clip or simply placing your mobile phone in your pocket are both appropriate ways of carrying a mobile phone, noting the recommended separation distances when the phone is in use.

If a consumer does not comply with the manufacturer’s recommendations for a body worn separation distance, safety is not compromised because the safety standards have large built-in safety margins, which protect the user.

In Australia, the SAR limit for the general public is set at 50 times (5000 per cent) below known risk levels , such as acute exposure to sensitive organs like the eye, and for workers the added safety factor is 10 times (1000 per cent). Therefore, even if a consumer broke the general public limit by not following the manual guidelines they wouldn’t break the occupational limit in everyday use.

A graphic explantion of how additonal precautionary safety factors are applied to both occupational and general public exposures from a recent presentation in Africa by Paolo Vecchia, Chairman, International Commission for Non-ionizing Radiations Protection  (ICNIRP).

Phones with low SAR values

 Although there is some advice to buy a low SAR phone, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), the chief regulator in the United States, makes it clear that although SAR measures show compliance with maximum exposure standards they should not be relied on to compare the relative safety of handsets.

The FCC released a consumer fact sheet – ‘SAR For Cell Phones: What It Means For You’– to address the considerable confusion and misunderstanding the recent interest in this issue has caused which says:

Many people mistakenly assume that using a cell phone with a lower reported SAR value necessarily decreases a user’s exposure to RF emissions, or is somehow “safer” than using a cell phone with a high SAR value. While SAR values are an important tool in judging the maximum possible exposure to RF energy from a particular model of cell phone, a single SAR value does not provide sufficient information about the amount of RF exposure under typical usage conditions to reliably compare individual cell phone models.

The FCC also advises consumers, who may be concerned with the adequacy of safety standards:

…the most effective means to reduce exposure are to hold the cell phone away from the head or body and to use a speakerphone or hands-free accessory. These measures will generally have much more impact on RF energy absorption than the small difference in SAR between individual cell phones, which, in any event, is an unreliable comparison of RF exposure to consumers, given the variables to individual use

Where can I find the SAR and safety information for mobile phones?

There are many ways to find SAR information for mobile phones. We have listed some easy tips below:

Check the phone handbook or user manual; look under "safety" or "specifications";

Search the manufacturer's website for your phone model and SAR; it is usually listed under "safety" or "product specifications"; or call the manufacturers’ customer service numbers:

Nokia 1300 366 733

Sony Ericsson 1300 650 050

Motorola 1300 138 823

Samsung 1300 362 603

ZTE 1300 789 475

HTC 1300 482 482

LG 1300 54 2273

• Use a web search engine like Google to search for your phone model and SAR;
  
   
• Contact the manufacturer and ask for the SAR information;
  
   
• Contact the mobile dealer or your network provider;

Check the Mobile Manufacturers Forum website

If you need further assistance please email contact@amta.org.au

Please note, as with all external links on the AMTA website, AMTA is unable to verify the information provided, and therefore is unable to guarantee the accuracy of information contained on external pages. These links are provided as a useful service to consumers.

Useful links

SAR Explained - http://www.emfexplained.info/?ID=25585

FCC SAR Information – http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/consumerfacts/sar.html

ACMA SAR Information – http://www.acma.gov.au/WEB/STANDARD/pc=PC_1719

ARPANSA - http://www.arpansa.gov.au/mobilephones/index.cfm