The Control of Electromagnetic Fields at Work Regulations 2016 (EMF 2016) Post-Implementation Review (PIR)
Welders and Welding businesses survey

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) - the UK government agency responsible for workplace health, safety and welfare - is reviewing the Control of Electromagnetic Fields at Work Regulations 2016 (SI 2016/588) (EMF 2016) and wants to hear from YOU about how they are working.

 

EMF 2016 was introduced via a European Union (EU) Directive (2013/35/EU) and came into force on 1st July 2016; it was intended to ensure that:

- there is a harmonised regime across all European member states;

- dutyholders take action to minimise and control the risks from electromagnetic fields (EMFs); and

- all workers remain protected.

 

Electromagnetic fields (EMFs) are non-ionising radiation which occur naturally in the environment and, as it is created whenever electrical energy is used, is present in virtually all workplaces. There are, however, some EMFs which are strong enough to present a risk in some workplaces. This risk can be: the effect of EMFs on the body; and/or EMFs affecting other things in the environment which can cause a safety or health hazard. EMF 2016 provides the minimum health and safety requirements regarding the exposure of workers to the risk arising from EMFs and requires employers to assess the levels of EMFs their workers are exposed to against specific sets of exposure levels. 

 

In order to help with this work HSE would like to hear from YOU about:

* whether EMF 2016 has met its original objectives;

* what the costs and benefits of EMF 2016 have been;

* whether the requirements of EMF 2016 can be achieved through a different approach (or are needed at all); and

* whether, if EMF 2016 was to be abolished, the level and standard of protection for workers would be reduced.

To this end, can you please spare just 10 minutes to quickly complete the following brief survey. All of the individual responses to the survey will be aggregated together and treated anonymously. Also, please note that no information you provide will be used for regulatory inspection purposes.

The post-implementation review (PIR) phase of the wider EMF 2016 review is due to be completed by the end of June 2021, whilst the Reforming Regulation Initiative (RRI) phase will only be completed later in the year. As such some of your responses will not be analysed immediately.  

 

Any problems or questions, please contact Miles Burger on miles.burger@hse.gov.uk or 07798 882046.

 

The survey will close at the end of the day on Wednesday 24th February 2021.

 

Thank you for all your help.