About SAR testing

CE SAR testing is an essential part of bringing the radio product onto the market. The requirement to affix the CE marking on products is important as it declares that the product meets all the legal requirements and can be sold in the EEA countries.

SAR itself stands for Specific Absorption Rate which is a measure that explains how much radio frequency energy is absorbed to the body or head. This indicator, among other things, measures the harmful effects of mobile devices or smartphones on the human body.

Heating is the only confirmed mechanism by which radio-frequency energy interacts with the biological system. Thus, by knowing how much energy is absorbed in a system, it is possible to calculate the resulting temperature change. To determine wireless device safety and to ensure the protection of health and safety of persons and domestic animals, SAR testing is done to the radio devices that are used closer than 20 cm to the human head or body.

If you are interested, we have written a comprehensive article about mobile phone SAR value. Read Mobile SAR Value – Everything you need to know about the process -article for more information.

Changes in the EU legislation: The new Radio Equipment Directive 2014/53/EU (RED)

This directive resulted in an agreement in 2014. It replaced Radio and Telecommunications Terminal Equipment Directives 1999/5/EC (R&TTED) and entered into force on the 13th of June 2016. However, it was stated that there would be a one-year transition period before the R&TTED would be completely replaced. Thus, starting with the 13th of July 2017 all the radio equipment placed onto the Union market must apply RED.

One of the key new features of RED is “The protection of health and safety for people is now extended to domestic animals, which is explicitly mentioned in the RED”.

DIRECTIVE 2014/53/EU (RED) OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL of 16 April 2014 establishments.

There are several cut-outs from the directive concerning the subject:

(4) “The essential requirements laid down in Directive 1999/5/EC which are relevant to fixed-line terminal equipment, i.e. to ensure the protection of health and safety of persons and of domestic animals and the protection of property and an adequate level of electromagnetic compatibility, are appropriately covered by Directive 2014/35/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council (6) and Directive 2014/30/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council (7)”.

“1. Radio equipment shall be constructed so as to ensure:

(a) the protection of health and safety of persons and of domestic animals and the protection of property, including the objectives with respect to safety requirements set out in Directive 2014/35/EU, but with no voltage limit applying;”.

(26) “Economic operators should be responsible for the compliance of radio equipment with this Directive, in relation to their respective roles in the supply chain, so as to ensure a high level of protection of health and safety of persons and of domestic animals, …”.

CE-marking

According to the requirement of the RED, the CE mark is still applicable and must be attached on the radio equipment.

The CE marking indicates that the product is not harmful to the health of its users, nor is it harmful to the environment and meet the requirements of all applicable European Directives. However, it should be taken into consideration that the CE mark is not a symbol of product quality.

If you have any questions, need assistance or want directly to contact our personnel, please click here for personal contacts. Besides many other services, Verkotan provides CE, FCC & ISED SAR Testing for radio devices. We are testing a variety of technologies and products including animal care (e.g. tracking devices). You can find more information from our website.

Verkotan is always happy to provide more detailed information and make a proposal how we can verify the performance of your wireless device in the global environment.

If you have any questions or need assistance, contact us. We are happy to help you!