Chair and members of the committee, it is our pleasure to be here as Industry Canada's representatives.
Industry Canada's basic role is to ensure that Safety Code 6 levels are respected with regard to, firstly, portable radio communication devices such as cellphones, and secondly, antenna towers and their surroundings. Different limits and assessment methods exist for these two situations.
I am Marc Dupuis, director general of Engineering, Planning and Standards Branch. My group is responsible for the compliance of radiocommunication equipment to standards.
Each model of new radiocommunication equipment in Canada has to comply with standards set by the department, including Safety Code 6. Equipment cannot be sold in Canada unless the model is certified by accredited bodies through our process. Manufacturers have the responsibility to ensure that their equipment meets these standards throughout the manufacturing cycle. Once the equipment is on the market, the department tests individual units of these models to ensure that the equipment continues to meet standards.
With me is Peter Hill, senior director of spectrum management operations. His group deals with antenna sitings of radio stations.
All antenna installations in Canada must respect Safety Code 6 guidelines for the protection of the general public. Before an antenna can be installed, we require that licensees ensure that emissions from an antenna in areas that are accessible to the public will be within Safety Code 6 limits, taking into account the cumulative effect of other antennas in the vicinity.
Once the tower is operational, it remains a condition of licence under the Radiocommunication Act to respect these limits. Industry Canada also performs audits and tests to ensure that these sites are in compliance afterwards.
The procedures that we use in order to ensure that the department's standards for equipment certification are met, incorporate measurement methods developed by international expert bodies such as the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers and the International Electrotechnical Commission. These measurement methods are recognized world-wide as the most reliable way to verify RF exposure. One of the main responsibilities of accredited bodies is to conduct market surveillance activities. They are required to conduct physical audits on selected equipment samples.
Moreover, highly trained staff at Industry Canada's Certification and Engineering Bureau are also directly involved in testing radio equipment to ensure that the individual units available to consumers meet the same standards as the original models.
As I mentioned above, Industry Canada conducts regular audits of antenna installations to ensure compliance. I am confident that, through the various initiatives in place, Industry Canada is taking every reasonable measure that it can to ensure all sites in Canada respect Safety Code 6 limits.
Indeed, our experience, from mathematical modelling to actual field measurements, has demonstrated that for the vast majority of radio communication and broadcasting installations, the RF, or radio frequency, field levels are at a very small fraction of the regulatory limits in Safety Code 6--many thousand times below Safety Code 6 limits. Our measurements use sophisticated equipment that is regularly calibrated, and the measurements are performed by highly qualified and trained personnel.
Industry Canada provides a number of documents for the departmental Web site for Canadians concerned with RF exposure. For instance, “Frequently Asked Questions on radio frequency Energy and Health” has been jointly developed by Health Canada and Industry Canada. In addition, a handbook and numerous information sheets are also available. The links to these sites can be found in the appendix to these opening remarks. In addition, copies of the handbook and information sheets have been available to the committee and distributed this morning.
Again, Madam Chairperson, our role at Industry Canada is to ensure that apparatus and antenna installations respect Safety Code 6 limits for the protection of the general public. We rely on Health Canada's expert advice and also ensure that our own personnel have the necessary calibrated equipment and training to perform these complex measurements to ensure compliance in the marketplace.
We would be pleased to respond to any questions you may have concerning Industry Canada's role with respect to Safety Code 6.