Swiss Re, one of the largest re-insurance companies in the world, does not re-insure mobile phones for health risks. Following are excerpts from its 1997 paper, "Electrosmog, a Phantom Risk", on why it will not take on health claims from cell phones. Countries which deny health risks had better take due note of what insurance companies are saying. See also Swiss Re slide presentation on electrosmog from 2009. Swiss Re has rated electromagnetic fields (EMF) as the highest risk (27 on a scale from 1 to 33) on its risk table, above agents that are known carcinogens and killers such as meat infected with mad cow disease. In a recent document, it declared, "from a prospective point of view, risk from dangers linked to EMF can be classified as an emergent risk". Silicone implants and asbestos were once considered emergent risks and are now proven risks, costing society millions of dollars in medical expenses and legal actions.
In February 2009, the French telecoms company Bouygues Telecom, was ordered to take down a mobile phone antenna due to uncertainty about its effect on health. Residents in the commune where it was located had sued the company claiming adverse health effects from the radiation emitted by the antenna. The Versailles Court of Appeals stated that, "Considering that while the reality of the risk remains hypothetical, it becomes clear from reading the contributions and scientific publications produced in debate and the divergent legislative positions taken in various countries, that uncertainty over the harmlessness of exposure to the waves emitted by relay antennas persists and can be considered serious and reasonable."
The advocacy organization, People’s Initiative, has provided this information in its very interesting document, “The Legislator’s Guide to Warning Labels on Cell Phones and the Layman’s Guide to the Science Behind Non-Thermal Effects from Wireless Devices” which can be viewed by clicking here.
View this CBC (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation) video report on cell phones and insurance companies.
WHY SWISS RE WILL NOT RE-INSURE MOBILE PHONES FOR HEALTH RISKS
The People's Initiative explains: "A re-insurance company is a company that backs up an industry for claims that the industry may not be able to cover. Possibly the largest re-insurance company in the world, Swiss Re, will not take this liability on with cell phones and health effects. At present, most cell phone companies are “self insured”. Meaning, they may be able to just file bankruptcy should there be too many claims. The following are selections of statements from Swiss Reʼs paper on why it will not take on health claims from cell phones. We have written our words in italics so as to decipher from Swiss Reʼs words."
