Electromagnetic fields at work
New regulations came onto the Statute Books in 2016 that apply to ALL businesses regardless of size or type. The Control of Electromagnetic Fields at Work Regulations 2016.
So this week’s newsletter looks at these regulations and your duties under them. It explains what an EMF is, what the law says and how to assess employees’ potential exposure to EMFs with reference to ‘action levels’ and ‘exposure limit values’.
As part of our 25th Anniversary expansion of services, we have trained one of our team, Chris Walton, in the requirements of these regulations and the use of monitoring equipment. We have also purchased the appropriate monitors. So we are now in a position to be able to carry out the surveys as designated and to report and advise accordingly.
This week’s 2 recent HSE cases look at recent cases where there were life changing injuries
- Operative was hospitalised for 2-months after receiving a server brain injury any has not been able to work since
- One operative received life threatening burns to his back, buttocks, arms, leg, neck and one side of his face. The other operative received burns to the right side of his head, his neck, and back, left arm and behind his right ear
As ever, if you have a subject that you would like us to cover one week, please contact us by phone 01458 253682, email or via our Facebook page or by Twitter
Electromagnetic fields at work
A guide to the Control of Electromagnetic Fields at Work Regulations 2016.
Employers have a duty to take reasonable steps to prevent harm in the workplace and this duty includes considering any risks arising from exposure to electromagnetic fields (EMFs).
This guidance explains your duties as an employer under the Control of Electromagnetic Fields at Work Regulations 2016 (the CEMFAW Regulations).
The Legal Background
As part of managing the health and safety of your business, you already need to control the risks in your workplace under the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 (MHSW); you need to think about what might cause harm to people and take reasonable steps to prevent harm – this includes considering any risks arising from exposure to EMFs.
The CEMFAW Regulations mean that you now have to assess employees’ potential exposure to EMFs with reference to action levels (ALs) and exposure limit values (ELVs).
The majority of employers will not need to take any additional action to reduce the risk from EMFs. This is because either:
- the levels of EMFs in most workplaces are already at safe levels; or
- in workplaces where employees may be exposed to higher levels of EMFs, the levels and associated risks will already have been assessed and managed.
But you MUST have your workplace surveyed to assess the potential exposure risk.
Electromagnetic fields (EMFs) and their effects
What is an EMF?
An EMF is produced whenever a piece of electrical or electronic equipment (e.g.TV, food mixer, computer, mobile phone etc.) is used.
EMFs are static electric, static magnetic and time-varying electric, magnetic and electromagnetic (radio wave) fields with frequencies up to 300 GHz.
EMFs are present in virtually all workplaces and if they are of high enough intensity, you may need to take action to make sure your workers are protected from any adverse effects.
Exposure to EMFs
Exposure to high levels of EMFs can give rise to effects that may be irritating or unpleasant. The effects that occur depend on the frequency range and intensity of the EMFs to which a worker is exposed.
What are the effects of exposure?
EMFs at different frequencies affect the human body in different ways, causing sensory and health effects; see Table 1. Indirect effects can also happen; indirect effects are caused by the presence of an object in an EMF which may become the cause of a health and safety hazard. One example would be the risk of injury from ferromagnetic objects in a large static magnetic field being attracted to the magnets and hitting anyone in the way. Table 1 provides examples of effects which may be produced by work activities and equipment in the different frequency ranges; in most cases, it will only be the highest power instances that may lead to effects being experienced.
Table 1 Examples of possible effects of EMFs in relation to work activities/equipment used
| Field and frequency range | Effects | Examples of activities and equipment |
|---|---|---|
| Static electric and static magnetic fields 0–1 Hz
| Indirect effects: Uncontrolled attraction of ferromagnetic objects, ie the risk of injury from objects in a large static magnetic field being attracted to magnets in the workplace and hitting anyone in the way Sensory effects: Nausea, vertigo, metallic taste in the mouth, flickering sensations (magnetophosphenes) in peripheral vision Health effects: Micro shocks | MRI scanners (main magnet) Electrochemical processes, eg industrial electrolysis, aluminium extraction Nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometers Electromagnetic lifting cranes Electric vehicles (cars, underground trains) |
| Low frequency magnetic and electric fields: 1 Hz–10 MHz | Indirect effects: Interference with active or passive implanted or body-worn medical devices (more information is provided later in this guidance), electric shocks, causing electro-explosive devices to initiate, ie when used in close proximity to explosives that have an electrical means of initiation Sparks caused by induced fields triggering fires or explosions where flammable fuels, vapours or gases are present Sensory effects: Nausea, vertigo, metallic taste in the mouth, flickering sensations (magnetophosphenes) Health effects: Nerve stimulation, effects on the central and peripheral nervous system of the body: tingling, muscle contraction, heart arrhythmia Contact currents caused by a person touching a conductive object in an EMF where one of them is grounded and the other is not, which can result in shocks or burns | High voltage power lines Production and distribution of electricity Welding (arc and spot) Electrical arc furnaces Industrial induction heating (eg large coils used around the site of a weld) AM radio Electric hand-held tools Electric vehicles (cars, trains, trams, metros) Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) (switched gradient fields) |
| Intermediate frequency fields: 100 kHz–10 MHz | The health effects of both high and low frequencies can be experienced as detailed above and below (see also Annex 1) | Surgical diathermy Broadcasting systems and devices (AM radio) Anti-theft devices Military and research radiofrequency systems |
| High frequency fields: 100 kHz–300 GHz | Indirect effects: Interference with active or passive implanted or body-worn medical devices (more information is provided later in this guidance), electric shocks, causing electro-explosive devices to initiate, ie when used in close proximity to explosives that have an electrical means of initiation Sparks caused by induced fields triggering fires or explosions where flammable fuels, vapours or gases are present | MRI (RF coils) Broadcasting and TV antennas Radar and radio transmitters Diathermy Dielectric heating (eg vulcanising, plastics welding or microwave drying) Anti-theft systems |
What the law says
The CEMFAW Regulations require you, as an employer, to:
- assess the levels of EMFs to which your employees may be exposed;
- ensure that exposure is below a set of ELVs, see ‘Exposure limit values’;
- when appropriate, devise and implement an action plan to ensure compliance with the exposure limits;
- when appropriate, assess the risks of employees’ exposure and eliminate or minimise those risks. You must make sure you take employees at particular risk, such as expectant mothers and workers with active or passive implanted or body-worn medical devices, into account. See ‘Employees at particular risk’;
- provide information and training on the particular risks (if any) posed to employees by EMFs in the workplace and details of any action you are taking to remove or control them. This information should also be made available to their safety representatives, as appropriate;
- take action if employees are exposed to EMFs in excess of the ELVs;
- provide health surveillance or medical examination, as appropriate.
The CEMFAW Regulations contain a schedule which introduces limits, explains the effects of EMFs and provides details of safety conditions which must be met.
The CEMFAW Regulations allow the sensory-effect ELVs to be exceeded when certain safety conditions stated in the schedule to the regulations are met. In addition, exemptions to the exposure limits apply in the following circumstances:
- for any activity in respect of which a suitable and sufficient alternative exposure limitation system is in place and where the activity is carried out:
- by a person acting in the capacity of a member of either Her Majesty’s armed forces or a visiting force;
- by any civilian working with such a person; or
- on any premises or part of premises under the control of the Secretary of State for the purposes of the Ministry of Defence or the service authorities of a visiting force;
- during the development, testing, installation, use and maintenance of, or research related to, MRI equipment for patients in the health sector, where:
- the exposure of employees above the ELV is at the lowest level reasonably practicable; and
- employees are protected against the health effects and safety risks arising from their exposure to EMFs;
- if HSE has issued an exemption for your work activity and you meet the conditions of that exemption.
Summary of an employer’s duties relating to risk assessment
The majority of employers will not need to take any additional action to reduce the risk from EMFs as in most workplaces EMFs are already at safe levels. Where employees may be exposed to higher levels of EMFs, the levels and associated risks should already be assessed and managed under MHSW.
You should also be aware that you have responsibilities under MHSW regulation 11 to cooperate and coordinate with other employers to ensure the health and safety of all of your employees.
This includes considering the safety of others who are not directly employed by you but who are working on site, e.g. contractors; the responsibilities for such staff will depend on who, if anyone, is employing them.
EMFs in the workplace
Low-exposure work activities/equipment
Many sources of EMF in the workplace produce such low levels of EMFs that it is likely, other than assessing exposure to EMFs, the procedures you already have in place to manage risks will be sufficient to make sure workers are protected and to meet the requirements of the CEMFAW Regulations.
Buildings and grounds
Employees at particular risk
You must give special consideration to the safety of employees at particular risk.
This includes employees who have informed you of any condition which could mean they are more susceptible to effects from EMF exposure (such as their wearing of active implanted medical devices (AIMDs), passive implanted medical devices (PIMDs) or body-worn medical devices (BWMDs) – For more information see below-or of their pregnancy and employees who work in close proximity to electro-explosive devices, explosive materials or flammable atmospheres.
Training Courses
We shall be running new courses again in 2017 and the dates and details of forthcoming courses will be published here each week.
But remember we are still available for running “In House” courses and are looking to add new training courses to our list.
If you have any questions about these courses or any other training or would like us to run a particular course for you, call Jon Wilkins of the Wilkins Safety Group on 01458 253682 or email him.
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