Ho, June 24, GNA - The level of radiation from mobile phones and

also from the premises of phone companies are low and harmless to human health, says the Ghana Atomic Energy Commission (GAEC).

Dr Joseph K. Amoako, Head, Radiation Protection Institute (RPI) of GAEC who gave the assurance said the level of radiation from such gadgets are one millionth, less than two percent.

"Radiation can be useful or harmful, depending on the levels," Dr Amoako explained.

He was addressing a workshop in Ho on 93Electromagnetic Fields Exposure and Health."

The workshop, prompted by public apprehensions about perceived health hazards from mobile phone base stations, use of mobile phones, and the physical danger from the base station towers among others, was organized by the Ghana Investment Fund for Electromagnetic Communications (GIFEC) under the auspices of the Ministry of communications.

It was to allay the fears of the public.

Dr Amoako said the radiation from household gadgets such as television sets, microwave stoves and electrical bulbs were higher than those from mobile phones and the base stations.

He said notwithstanding the low level of radiation from mobile phones, users were advised to refrain from holding their phones to their ears for six minutes or more at a time.

They should rather use hands-free kits to receive or make calls and adopt text messaging.

"Your phone is like an oven".

Dr Amoako said these precautionary measures must be taken seriously especially by young people below 15 years who would be exposed to the heat from their phones for many more years.

Liking the use of the phone to the way a baker bakes bread, Dr Amoako explained that a baker does not stay by the oven when baking bread, except to periodically monitor the temperature in the oven and how the bread was baking, so should mobile phone users take precautionary measures in using the phones.

Dr Amoako explained that heat from the mobile phones could take as long as 30 years to begin to have effect when used inappropriately.

Dr Amoako said the towers on which the antennas were mounted at the Base Stations constitute potential physical danger to the public if due regard to safety measures were not taken in erecting them.

Mrs Audrey Quarcoo, Senior Programmes officer of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) assured that the Agency ensures adequate safety standards were observed in the choice of sites and the mounting of the towers at the Base Stations.

She said a number of measures were in the offing that seek to tighten safety standards in the erection and management of the Base Stations.

She therefore appealed to the public to inform the Agency whenever they suspected that safety standards were being compromised. Mrs Quarcoo said illegally sited Base would be pulled down.