EMC Safety
RADHAZ / EMF Directive
EMF Directive 2013/35/EU
WEMEC offers consultancy upon the implementation of HSE Physical Agents Directive 2013/35/EU repealing 2004/40/EC (Electromagnetic Field, EMF). The directive details the minimum requirements for the protection of workers from risks to their health and safety arising or likely to arise from exposure to electromagnetic fields. Staff have been part of the BSI committee GEL106 which focused on human exposure to low frequency and high frequency electromagnetic radiation.
Employers already control risks in the workplace under various legislation, such as the Health & Safety at Work Act, and should also therefore consider the risks arising from exposure to Electro-Magnetic Fields. The Control of Electromagnetic Fields at Work Regulations 2016 (the CEMFAW Regulations) now requires employers to assess employees’ potential exposure to EM Fields with reference to ‘Action Levels’ (ALs) and Exposure Limit Values (ELVs).
An EMF is produced whenever a piece of electrical or electronic equipment is used; this includes TVs, computers, mobile phones, etc. EMFs are present in virtually all workplaces and if they are of high enough intensity they can cause sensory or health effects on the human body.
The requirements in the CEMFAW Regulations are based on two sets of values related to EMFs: ALs and ELVs. These physical quantities are based on the recommendations of the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP).
In order to comply with the CEMFAW Regulations, employers must ensure that employees are not exposed to EMF levels exceeding these limits by undertaking an EMF exposure assessment. Following the assessment, an action plan may be needed in order to reduce employees’ exposure to EMFs.
This risk assessment should also take employees at particular risk into account; employees at particular risk are those which may be 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) or of their pregnancy) and employees who work in close proximity to electro-explosive devices, explosive materials or flammable atmospheres.
Click here for a guide to the Control of Electromagnetic Fields at work Regulations 2016
Site Surveys– WEMEC can survey working environments or equipment in accordance with the following;
- EMF directive 2013/35/EU
- European recommendation 1999/519/EEC
- International Electrotechnical commissions (IEC) Standards – i.e IEC 62369, IEC 60601, IEC 62233, IEC 62110, IEC 62311, IEC 617860
- European Union – i.e EN50400, EN 50499, EN 50554, EN 50596
- United states of America – IEEE Std 644, IEEE Std C95.1, IEEE Std C95.6
WEMEC can write company EMF Directive Polices for systems or the workplace.
Flammable Atmospheres
BS 6656:2002
WEMEC offers a full theoretical and practical service to meet the requirements of BS 6656:2002, assessment of inadvertent ignition of flammable atmospheres by radio-frequency radiation. WEMEC can offer this service in both the Land and Marine environments.