Compliance with occupational limits
Statement of compliance with occupational exposure limits
Since 1 July 2016, occupational exposure to EMFs in the UK has been governed by the Control of Electromagnetic Fields at Work Regulations 2016 (the “Regulations”).
This page sets out how the UK electricity industry complies with these Regulations.
Policy
The industry policy towards compliance with these Regulations is set out in ENA SHE Standard 10.
Some companies follow this Standard directly, and some have enacted the same policies into their own framework of safety documentation.
The key policies are:
The limits
The electricity industry normally complies with the High Action Levels, although the actual limits are higher:
- Magnetic fields: 6000 µT (18 000 µT limbs only)
- Electric fields: 20 kV/m
Induced currents cannot be easily measured in humans, so models are used to calculate these effects, and this is called dosimetry. In specific circumstances, compliance can be determined against the Health Effects Exposure Limit Values using numerical dosimetry.
Risk assessment
The industry maintains a single risk assessment which compiles all the information on each different plant item or work practice. This risk assessment encompasses electricity generation, via Energy UK, as well as transmission and distribution, via the Energy Networks Association.
Employees with active medical devices
Employees with Active Implanted Medical Devices (AIMDs) or Body Worn Medical Devices (BWMDs) are required to notify their employer so that an assessment can be carried out for their specific device within their working environment (minimising the need for blanket restrictions).
Employees with passive medical devices
Employees with Passive Implanted Medical Device (PIMDs) are considered in the overarching occupational risk assessment, and no additional assessment is required.
Pregnant employees
Pregnant employees are given the option of complying with the public limits instead of the occupational limits for the duration of their exposure.
Information and Training
The industry provides an Information Sheet for employees in relevant roles:
This video explains more on the introduction of the occupational exposure limits in 2016, and the industry risk assessment: