By Stuart D Bagley, MS, CIH, CSP
When an employee returns to industrial work with an implanted medical device, an electromagnetic interference (EMI) assessment can help identify which tasks and equipment may warrant precautions. The starting point is the employee’s actual work and the guidance for the specific device.
- 💓 Pacemaker or implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD)
- 🩻 Spinal cord stimulator
- 😴 Implanted sleep apnea device
1. Which tasks bring the employee near electrical equipment?
Walk through the work with someone who knows the job. Include normal routes, equipment inspections, and occasional tasks that bring the employee closer to transformers, generators, motors, or other electrical equipment. Record where the employee stands, how closely they approach the equipment, and what the equipment is doing at the time.
2. Where should electromagnetic fields be measured?
Measure at locations that represent how the job is performed. A reading in a walkway and a reading at an operator’s work position answer different questions. Document the measurement location, distance from the source, and operating conditions so the results can be interpreted in the context of the task.
3. What precautions fit the device and the job?
Review the measurements alongside manufacturer guidance for the specific device and input from the employee’s medical team. The results can help the employer consider whether a separation distance, a different work position, or a change in how a task is performed is appropriate. Document the tasks and conditions evaluated so the employer can revisit the assessment if the device, equipment, or work changes.
I’ve conducted these assessments in the United States and Canada at:
- Nuclear generating stations
- Electric utilities and substations
- Manufacturing facilities, including automotive plants, food processing facilities, metalworking and machining shops, steel mills, and electronics assembly plants
- Commercial facilities and laboratories
I have more than 30 years of occupational and environmental health experience.
Related reading: Workplace EMF, EMI and Implanted Medical Devices.
Adapted from my LinkedIn post on assessing EMI before a return to industrial work.