Precautionary Policies
The international exposure guidelines endorsed by the World Health Organization (WHO) are designed to provide protection against all known health hazards.
Some authorities and other groups have adopted additional measures on a 'precautionary' basis in order to respond to scientific uncertainty or public concern.
The WHO has stated that some policies may undermine confidence in exposure guidelines and research indicates that precautionary policies may increase public concern.
Public responses to precautionary information from the Department of Health (UK) about possible health risks from mobile phones, Julie Barnett, Lada Timotijevic, Richard Shepherd and Victoria Senior, Health Policy, Available online 17 November 2006
Comparing national responses to perceived health risks from mobile phone masts, Adam Burgess, Health, Risk & Society, Volume 4, Issue 2, pp. 175-188, July 2002
The Precautionary Principle and Risk Perception: Experimental Studies in the EMF Area, Peter M. Wiedemann and Holger Schütz, Environmental Health Perspectives Volume 113, Number 4, pp. 402-405, April 2005
Electromagnetic Fields and Public Health: Cautionary Policies, WHO Backgrounder, March 2000