Are there regulations that limit the public’s exposure to radiofrequency EME?
To protect the Australian public from the known health effects of radiofrequency EME, especially with the increasing use of mobile telecommunications, the ACMA introduced EME human health exposure regulations for radiocommunications installations and portable transmitting equipment. The regulations make mandatory the EME limits set out in a standard developed by the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency (ARPANSA). ARPANSA is government agency responsible for advice about radiation matters. The regulations, which came into effect on 1 March 2003, cover all portable transmitters designed for use close to the human body, including hand-held two-way radios, walkie-talkies and remote controlled toys, as well as radiocommunications installations such as broadcast towers and amateur radio stations. The regulations extend the previous arrangements, which only covered mobile phone handsets and base stations.
