Canadian Safety Reporter

5 Canadian HR Reporter, a Thomson Reuters business 2014 News | May 2014 | CSR Canadians about the potential dangers of exposure to radio- frequency fields emitted by cellphones and other wireless devices. The group is calling for stricter guidelines on wireless technology in light of the Royal Society of Canada's recent re- port on Safety Code 6. The code sets out limits on exposure to the radiofrequency fields emitted by wireless devic- es — including everything from Wi-Fi equipment to television and radio broadcast antennas — in an effort to protect the health of workers and the general pub- lic. The Royal Society of Canada released its expert panel report, Review of Safety Code 6: Poten- tial Health Risks of Radiofre- quency Fields, on April 1, 2014. The eight-member panel found the restrictions put in place by Safety Code 6 provide adequate protection from radiofrequency fields. The panel — assembled in re- sponse to a request from Health Canada, the federal agency responsible for regulations around wireless technologies and related health effects — did suggest Health Canada expand its existing risk communication strategy. Expanding the data that is publicly available would better address the consumer need for information on radio- frequency fields, the types of devices that use radiofrequency energy and the levels emitted, said the report. "In addition," said the panel, "Health Canada should incor- porate additional suggestions into their recommendations on practical measures that Cana- dians can take to reduce their exposure around cell phone use (for example, using an ear- piece)." More than 250 million wire- less devices are estimated to currently be in use in Canada, and that number is expected to increase significantly in the coming years. The growing use of these technologies means more needs to be done to edu- cate Canadians, according to Clegg. "Employers should educate their workers on how to use the technology safely," he said. "Just about every workplace has Wi- Fi installed, and there's certainly tremendous benefits. The chal- lenge that we see is that the Safe- ty Code limits are so high." In an effort to achieve the highest performance and cov- erage possible, he explained, technicians will set wireless net- works to the maximum capacity possible under Safety Code 6 regulations. This results in Ca- nadian workers across the coun- try facing levels of exposure C4ST deems excessive. About three per cent of the population identifies as having electro-sensitivity. Those who consider themselves hypersen- sitive to radiofrequency fields report symptoms ranging from skin rashes to heart palpitations, ringing in the ears, numbness in the extremities, headaches and/ or insomnia. "Some people are affected so severely they can't work," said Clegg. "Depending on how sen- sitive you are, there are people who have had to quit their jobs." Health Canada said in a state- ment that Safety Code 6 is de- signed to protect people of all ages and sizes from all forms of exposure to radiofrequency fields, including the continuous exposure experienced by the majority of working Canadians. "The limits established in Safety Code 6 incorporate large safety margins to provide a sig- nificant level of protection for all Canadians, including those working near radiofrequency sources," the statement read. But Safety Code 6 doesn't do enough to protect workers, C4ST argues. Employers have a duty to protect workers from overexposure and to accommo- date employees who are espe- cially sensitive, Clegg said. Wireless networks should be set at lower levels and break areas free from radiofrequency fields should be designated for electro-sensitive workers. "Know that there are elec- tro-sensitive individuals and accommodate them ahead of time," he said. "We're not say- ing don't use technology, we're just saying use it safely. It's about being educated, being aware. I would encourage employers to get in front of this now, be aware now, and they'll have more productive employees." C4ST believes ongoing ex- posure to radiofrequency fields could cause workers to develop hypersensitivity. According to Clegg, "You can develop sensi- tivity, so it's in employers' best interests to get in front of it because they could be creating more electro-sensitive employ- ees in their workplace, which isn't good for anyone." Employees suffering from electro-sensitivity are more like- ly to take sick leave, and C4ST reports the Canadian Human Rights Commission has identi- fied electro-sensitivity as a rec- ognized condition. While the Royal Society of Canada panel found no evi- dence that would indicate nega- tive health effects from expo- sure to radiofrequency fields below the limits recommended by Safety Code 6, it did recom- mend Health Canada continue to research the possibility of electro-sensitivity as well as the possible link between cancer and the exposure to radiofre- quency fields. Though the causal associa- tion between cancer and expo- sure to radiofrequency fields is weak — similar to the tenuous connection between radiofre- quency fields and the symptoms of electro-sensitivity — the pan- el's report conceded that "re- search on many of these health effects is ongoing." WI-FI SAFETY < pg. 1 Be aware of potential side-eff ects of exposure More than 250 million wireless devices are estimated to currently be in use in Canada, and that number is expected to increase signifi cantly in the coming years. Credit: Brian A Jackson/Shutterstock.com

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