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You are here: Home / Exposure limits for people / Limits from specific organisations / The Control of Electromagnetic Fields at Work Regulations 2016

The Control of Electromagnetic Fields at Work Regulations 2016

thumbnail flag UKThese Regulations implement in the UK the EU Directive of 2013 on occupational exposure.  They come into effect on 1 July 2016.  Like the EU Directive, the numerical values for low frequencies are based on ICNIRP 2010.

The numerical values

 

Sensory Effects

(central nervous system)

applies to head

Health Effects

(peripheral nervous system)

applies to whole body

Exposure Limit Value

140 mV/m peak

≈100 mV/m rms

Table ELV3

1100 mV/m peak

≈800 mV/m rms

Table ELV2

Action level

Low Action level

1 mT

 

10 kV/m

Tables AL1 and AL2

High Action level

6 mT

(18 mT for limbs only)

20 kV/m

Tables AL1 and AL2

These are the values for 50 Hz.

What protection do these limits give?

The main effects these limits are protecting against is that the external electric or magnetic field induces a smaller internal field in the body. That internal electric fields in the body can then interfere with nerves.

If you are below both the sensory and the health effects limits, there should be no direct effects on the body.  There may be indirect effects, either through microshocks or on implanted medical devices such as pacemakers.  Whilst microshocks may be present, they should be limited to acceptable levels below the sensory effects limits.

If you are above the sensory effects limits but still below the health effects limits, you could potentially experience some sensory effects.  The main example would be magnetophosphenes, a flickering sensation in the vision.  These effects are transient - they disappear as soon as the field is removed - and they are not known to be harmful.  That is why the Regulations allow you to exceed these sensory effects limits under certain conditions.

If you are above the health effects limits, you may experience "peripheral nerve stimulation".  This means there could be interference with the nerves of, for example, the limbs, which could be painful and, for example if you were working at height, possibly dangerous.  Even so, there is no suggestion of permanent harm, except at much higher levels.

In each case, the limits are set based on the most sensitive data available, and there is a safety margin built in.  So an average person would probably have to exceed the limits by a significant margin to start experiencing the stated effects.

 

What you have to do

The structure of the Regulations can seem quite complex, but it all makes sense:

You must comply with the Health ELV Regulation 4(1)

You can use the High Action Levels to assess compliance with the Health ELV Regulation 5(2)(b)

You can exceed the Sensory ELV Regulation 4(2) as long as:

  • it is temporary
  • indirect effects (spark discharges and contact currents) are controlled
  • staff are warned of the possibility of sensory effects Table ELV3 Note 2

 

You must perform an Exposure Assessment Regulation 5

You need a Risk Assessment only if you exceed the ELVs, or indirect effects are an issue, or you have staff at particular risk. Indirect effects means:

  • electric fields above the Low Action Level, 10 kV/m at 50 Hz Table AL1
  • contact currents above the relevant Action levels Table AL5
  • static magnetic fields high enough to interfere with medical devices or cause a projectile risk Table AL6

 

You need an Action Plan only if you exceed the ELVs Regulation 7

You must provide information and training Regulation 10

You must provide "appropriate" health surveillance and medical examinations to staff who exceed the Health ELV and report experiencing a health effect Regulation 11

There are exemptions for military and MRI Regulation 4(3) and the HSE can issue further exemptions Regulation 13

(Please note this is just a summary and is specific to low frequencies.)

Guidance on applying this

The HSE themselves have published Guidance: HSG281.

There is also the EU Practical Guide to the Directive.

The HSE have issued some indication of how they propose to use the Exemptions.

"Staff at particular risk" principally means staff with active medical devices or pregnant staff.

Northern Ireland

The "Control of Electroimagnetic Fields at Work Regulations 2016" that came into effect on 1 July 2016 cover Great Britain but not Northern Ireland.

The same effect was achieved in Northern Ireland by "the Control of Electromagnetic Fields at Work Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2016" (S.R. 2016 No. 266), made on 4 July 2016 and coming into operation on 1 August 2016.

see www.hseni.gov.uk/articles/electromagnetic-fields-emfs

 

Other limits in the UK

These Regulations apply to occupational exposure.  See also the position on public exposure in the UK.

 

See also:

  • Other exposure limits from different organisations
  • How National Grid has implemented these Regulations
  • The electricity industry's formal statement of compliance with these Regulations
  • How other industries have implemented these Regulations - railways

 

Full citation

STATUTORY INSTRUMENTS
2016 No. 588
HEALTH AND SAFETY
The Control of Electromagnetic Fields at Work Regulations 2016

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Navigation
  • What are EMFs
    • Terminology – an introduction
    • Electric fields
    • Magnetic fields
    • Units for measuring EMFs
    • Measuring and calculating EMFs
      • “EMF Commercial”
    • Adding fields together
    • Radiofrequencies
    • Screening EMFs
  • Sources
    • Overhead power lines
      • Fields from specific power lines
        • 400 kV
        • 400 kV – specific cases
        • 275 kV
        • 132 kV
        • 66 kV
        • 33 kV
        • 11 kV
        • 400 V/230 V
        • Replacing a 132 kV line with a 400 kV line
      • Summaries of fields from all power lines
      • Factors affecting the field from a power line
        • Voltage
        • Current
        • Clearance
        • Height above ground
        • Conductor bundle
        • Phasing
        • Balance between circuits
        • Balance within circuit
        • Ground resistivity
        • Two parallel lines
      • Calculating and measuring fields from power lines
        • Geometries of power lines
        • Raw data
        • On-line calculator
      • Fields from power lines – more detail on the physics
        • Field lines from a power line
        • The direction of the field from a power line
        • Power law variations in the field from a power line
      • Statistics of power line fields
    • Underground power cables
      • Different types of underground cable
      • Fields from cables in tunnels
      • Gas Insulated Lines (GIL)
      • Underground cables with multiple conductors
      • Effect of height on fields from underground cables
      • Screening fields from underground cables
    • Low-voltage distribution
      • UK distribution wiring
      • USA distribution wiring
    • House wiring
    • Substations
      • National Grid substations
        • Static Var Compensators
      • Sealing-end compounds
      • Distribution substations
      • Final distribution substations
        • Indoor substations
    • Transport
      • EMFs from electric trains (UK)
      • EMFs from cars
    • Appliances
    • Electricity meters
      • Smart meters
      • Traditional meters
    • Occupational exposures
      • Live-line work
      • Static Var Compensators
      • Occupational exposures on pylons
    • Field levels and exposures
      • Personal exposure
      • Other factors that vary with magnetic fields
      • Fields greater than 0.2 or 0.4 µT
    • Screening EMFs
      • Screening fields from underground cables
      • EMF Reduction Devices
  • Known effects
    • Induced currents and fields
    • Microshocks
      • Control of microshocks in the UK
      • Microshocks from bicycles
      • Bees and microshocks
    • EMFs and medical devices
      • Standards relating to pacemakers and other AIMDs
    • Effects of EMFs on equipment
  • Research
    • Types of research
    • Epidemiology
    • Animal and laboratory experiments
    • Mechanisms
    • Specific studies
      • UKCCS
      • CCRG
      • French Geocap study
      • CEGB cohort
      • Imperial College study
  • Current evidence on health
    • Childhood leukaemia
      • Survival from childhood leukaemia
      • Childhood leukaemia and Downs
      • Childhood leukaemia and night-time exposure
      • The “contact current” hypothesis
    • Other health effects
    • Scientific review bodies
      • WHO
      • IARC
    • Electric fields and ions
    • Comparing EMFs to other issues
  • Exposure limits for people
    • Limits in the UK
    • Limits in the EU
    • Limits in the USA
    • Limits in the rest of the world
    • Limits from specific organisations
      • ICNIRP 1998
      • ICNIRP 2010
      • NRPB 1993
      • NRPB 2004
      • EU 2004
      • EU 2013
  • Policy
    • UK policy
      • Power lines and property – UK
    • Compliance with exposure limits
    • European EMF policy
    • Precaution
    • SAGE
      • SAGE First Interim Assessment
        • Government response to SAGE First Interim Assessment
      • SAGE Second Interim Assessment
        • Government response to SAGE Second Interim Assessment
        • SAGE Second Interim Assessment – the full list of recommendations
  • Finding out more
    • EMF measurement and commercial services
    • Links
    • Literature
    • Contact us
  • Static fields
    • Static fields – the expert view