EMF in electrical rooms ( Safe ? )

[Davebones]

One of our electrical rooms has a small desk in corner that we occasionally use to do paper work . The room has a 480v 2500 amp switchgear in there with a 75kva transformer in a corner . The room is about 20' x 10' in size . Our safety department questioned whether the EMF in this room is safe to have a desk there . This is not my expertise so we're just looking for some general information ...

 

[kwired]

The electricians can possibly spend all day in the electrical room doing what they do and no problem, but as soon as they sit down at a desk in that room EMF's become an issue?

 

[wbdvt]

And the EMF that the safety department is exposed to sitting at their desks in front of a computer monitor for hours on end? Seems like someone heard/read an article and now has the term 'EMF' stuck in their head.
If they are worried about EMF, then your safety program must be very robust and all issues such as an electrical system study with equipment duties identified and equipment labeled with incident energy values is in place, all fire extinguishers inspected and tags signed on a monthly basis, etc. are non existent.

 

[ptonsparky]

Maybe he he is one of those that can feel EMF.

 

[Davebones]

Actually the safety program is very "robust" . We do have have all equipment identified with the incident energy on each piece of electrical equipment , and yes all fire extinguishers are inspected regular . We have a lot of dangerous chemicals and everything is tracked and disposed of properly . Would rather work for a company that does try to take safety seriously . Yes they can get overzealous but I appreciate the fact they try to make the work place safer .

 

[gadfly56]

One of our electrical rooms has a small desk in corner that we occasionally use to do paper work . The room has a 480v 2500 amp switchgear in there with a 75kva transformer in a corner . The room is about 20' x 10' in size . Our safety department questioned whether the EMF in this room is safe to have a desk there . This is not my expertise so we're just looking for some general information ...

I'm questioning right back if these folks graduated high school, let alone any college degree related to the safety field. This is like that Congressman who was worried about Guam tipping over from all the military equipment.

 

[ptonsparky]

They make meters to measure the EMF. Buy one and study up.

They can detect improperly wired items, circuit conductors not grouped. Old homes with K & T wiring would have a single switch leg up one wall with the neutral from another location. Is that enough to turn Tommy into a quivering lunatic or develop a cancer of some sort? IDK.

Distance from those fields make a difference in how strong they are. A few years ago there was a study that suggested women no longer carry their cell phones in their bra. Too close for too long.

 

[Dennis Alwon]

We have argued this one for a long time. The nec is mute on the electromagnetic field issue. I tried to sneak something in but in got rejected.

My feeling is that some people have issues with it so why hang around it. What is the electromagnetic field reading at the desk-- you need a gaussmeter and they are pretty cheap-- the cheap ones work okay for that issue.

I have heard 4 mg is okay but you don't want to go higher

 

[Dennis Alwon]

Many people think it is a bunch of bunk but there are studies that suggest some people get headaches etc. At one time there was a study that linked childhood Leukemia to high levels of electromagnetic field's.

 

[winnie]

AFAIK there is no good evidence of harm (or benefit, which is also a possibility) from 60Hz electric and magnetic fields.

However there appear to be published and very conservative standards for such exposure. If the safety department is worried they should measure the field strength and compare to these publications.

If the measured values exceed the published limits I still wouldn't worry too much.

Jon

 

[kwired]

The electricians can possibly spend all day in the electrical room doing what they do and no problem, but as soon as they sit down at a desk in that room EMF's become an issue?

I don't doubt there can be health issues from EMF's but why is it not a problem for the electricians to potentially spend the entire day in that room doing what they do, but as soon as you place a desk in there the EMF's are a potential problem?

 

[winnie]

In general there are different standards for working on equipment vs simply being near the equipment.

My guess is that someone sitting at the desk in the electrical room doesn't really need to be in the electrical room, and that a stricter standard would apply.

Jon

 

[kwired]

In general there are different standards for working on equipment vs simply being near the equipment.

My guess is that someone sitting at the desk in the electrical room doesn't really need to be in the electrical room, and that a stricter standard would apply.

Jon

Maybe so.

Also to take into consideration, is the desk in question a daily general purpose workstation or just a temp workstation for use when performing other activities in that electrical room? Maybe a place to just sit down with laptop, schematics, user manuals, etc. while doing tasks related the purpose the room serves?

 

[jim dungar]

One of our electrical rooms has a small desk in corner that we occasionally use to do paper work . The room has a 480v 2500 amp switchgear in there with a 75kva transformer in a corner .

Sounds like 50% of the electric shops I have been in in industrial locations. Definitely it is a common practice, but that doesn't mean it is acceptable to your safety group.

 

[Jraef]

This is one of the things I talk about when discussing arc resistant gear. Just because NFPA-70E doesn't say you need PPE if all of the doors are closed, doesn't mean it's totally safe to be around non-arc resistant equipment. Doors can and do blow open in arc flash events. But if the desk is out of the limited approach boundary, it's hard to make an argument on the technical aspects of it.

Just tell them to have this in the drawer of the desk...

 

[Fred B]

High levels of EMF has a long history of association with paranormal activity, also if a person has a pacemaker or susceptible to seizures high EMF can be detrimental, there is some suggestion that high EMF exposure can exasperate migraines. There is even some suggestions of mental disturbances. But for most there is no discernable issues.
So if you got no ghosts, noone with a pacemaker, seizures or migraines you should be clear. There are however, studies being done looking at long term exposure to high levels of EMF and health risks. Not sure of results of those studies.

 

[zbang]

I readlly don't know, but now much EMF escapes from metal-clad switchgear and conduits? (If the safety dept is questioning this, I think they ought do be doing some research on the matter.)

 

[drcampbell]

... they ought do be doing some research on the matter.

"They" have been:

Electromagnetic hypersensitivity

www.who.int

"The majority of studies indicate that EHS individuals cannot detect EMF exposure any more accurately than non-EHS individuals. Well controlled and conducted double-blind studies have shown that symptoms were not correlated with EMF exposure. ... "

 

[gadfly56]

"They" have been:

Electromagnetic hypersensitivity

www.who.int

"The majority of studies indicate that EHS individuals cannot detect EMF exposure any more accurately than non-EHS individuals. Well controlled and conducted double-blind studies have shown that symptoms were not correlated with EMF exposure. ... "

"They", as in the safety department, have clearly not been, otherwise they would be aware of the WHO study and not have bothered to ask.

 

[Davebones]

I appreciate all the replies . I told them to get a EMF meter and research it . Won't complain about someone being overcautious . I will say one thing for you guys that have been there you will know what I'm talking about . When I was younger working in Nuclear plant being around radiation areas I was very thankful to the "Health Physic's " guy's and gal's I worked with . I was fortunate the one's I worked with always seemed concerned about our exposure and safety .