1) Report on the dangers of using cordless
telephones
2) Potential effects of cell phone useReader
Inquiries may be directed to "Contact Us" or faxed
directly to 179-676-6882.
Consumer Product Safety Commission
CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY COMMISSION AND ELECTRONIC
INDUSTRIES ASSOCIATION ISSUE ALERT ON CORDLESS
TELEPHONES: SAFETY ALERT
CPSC Document #5023
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC)
and the Electronic Industries Association (EIA),
recently issued a joint consumer alert urging owners
of "cordless" or portable telephones to exercise
caution when using the product. Cordless telephones
offer the user the convenience of placing or
receiving calls in their home or in the immediate
vicinity outside their home. The CPSC and EIA,
however, caution users always to place the phone in
the talk position before moving the telephone to
their ear. Otherwise, they may be exposed to a loud
and possibly painful ring.
Since December 1982, the CPSC has received over 20
consumer complaints about the loud sound which is
made when the telephone rings or when someone near
the base station of these telephones presses the
intercom or page button while the handset is close
to the user's ear.
Several of these complaints, including some from
physicians, claim that some loss of hearing has
resulted from the loudness of the ring.
Currently most cordless telephones are designed so
that the ring or page signal comes through the
ear-phone of the unit. From the information provided
in the complaints it is clear that the users were
not expecting their telephone to ring and had placed
it against or near their ear without placing the
phone in the talk position. In at least one case the
user was preparing to place a call when the phone
rang unexpectedly. Some users have encountered
unexpected ringing of the cordless telephone while
they were first learning to use it or while the
telephone was being used by someone otherwise
unfamiliar with its operation.
CPSC advises consumers who now have one of these
telephones in their home or office to be sure that
everyone using the product is thoroughly familiar
with its proper operation. Carefully read any user
manual or instructions provided with the telephone
at the time of purchase. Also, provide assistance to
children or visitors in the home or office who may
use the cordless telephone.
Since earlier this year, a number of manufacturers
and distributors of cordless telephones who are
members of EIA have been attaching labels to their
products alerting the user about the loud ring.
These labels and accompanying information in the
telephone's user manuals or instructions direct
users to place the phone in the talk position before
moving the handset to the ear.
Consumers wishing to provide CPSC with complaints or
information about cordless telephones should call
CPSC's toll-free Hotline at 800-638-CPSC. A
teletypewriter number for the hearing impaired is
800-638-8270.
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission protects
the public from the unreasonable risk of injury or
death from 15,000 types of consumer products under
the agency's jurisdiction. To report a dangerous
product or a product-related injury, you can go to
CPSC's forms page and use the first on-line form on
that page. Or, you can call CPSC's hotline at (800)
638-2772 or CPSC's teletypewriter at (800) 638-8270,
or send the information to info@cpsc.gov. Consumers
can obtain this publication and additional
publication information from the Publications
section of CPSC's web site or by sending your
publication request to publications@cpsc.gov. If you
would like to receive CPSC's recall notices,
subscribing to the email list will send all press
releases to you the day they are issued.
This document is in the public domain. It may be
reproduced without change in part or whole by an
individual or organization without permission.
Send the link for this page to a friend! The U.S.
Consumer Product Safety Commission protects the
public from unreasonable risks of injury or death
from 15,000 types of consumer products under the
agency's jurisdiction. To report a dangerous product
or a product-related injury, call CPSC's hotline at
(800) 638-2772 or CPSC's teletypewriter at (800)
638-8270, or visit CPSC's web site at www.cpsc.gov/talk.html.
Consumers can obtain this release and recall
information at CPSC's web site at
www.cpsc.gov.
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