Community news|16/12/15

Two practical guides to help employers comply with the “electromagnetic fields” directive

Home > The news of EUROGIP and occupational risks in Europe > Two practical guides to help employers comply with the “electromagnetic fields” directive

The European Commission recently published two practical guides to help employers understand what they will have to do to comply with the 2013/35/EU directive on electromagnetic fields. This directive is to be transposed into the national law of all the EU Member States by 1 July 2016.

The guide consists of two volumes. The first volume contains a set of non-binding indications designed to clarify for enterprises how to assess exposure to electromagnetic fields and the available options regarding preventive measures. The second volume presents twelve case studies which illustrate concretely the recommendations expressed in the first volume. The cases presented are fictitious, but compiled based on real-world work situations.

The second volume concerns SMEs in particular. It is written to explain how the nature of their activity could be affected by the provisions of the directive. It is intended especially for enterprises for which the nature of their activities suggests that there is in theory little risk, and indicates how this can be demonstrated without measuring.

The European Commission gives a reminder that the information provided by the guides is not legally binding and does not represent an interpretation of specific legal provisions with which enterprises must comply. Accordingly, these guides should be read in conjunction with the provisions of the relevant directive, the framework directive on occupational safety and health and the national legislation in force.

The guides, initially available in English, will be later translated into all the languages of the European Union.

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