NIOSH Joins with Partner Agencies to Issue Reference Publication on Workplace Exposure to EMF

Contact: Fred Blosser (202) 260-8519
November 6, 1996

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health today joined with the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and the U.S. Department of Energy to issue a new reference publication for non-technical readers about workplace exposure to electric and magnetic fields (EMF) from electrical devices.

“Questions and Answers: EMF in the Workplace” addresses technical issues relating to EMF and discusses simple measures for identifying and reducing exposures that can be taken by employers and workers if they are concerned about workplace sources of EMF. It also lists further information resources.

“This booklet responds to a need for practical, workplace-oriented information for non-scientists while research on EMF continues,” said NIOSH Director Linda Rosenstock, M.D., M.P.H.

The 68-page booklet was developed under the interagency EMF Research and Public Information Dissemination Program (EMF RAPID), which combines government and private sector resources to study and provide answers to questions about EMF exposure.

Some studies have suggested a potential link between EMF exposure and adverse health risks, but the data are too limited to draw conclusions. Most scientists agree that more information is needed to resolve these questions. The federal government initiated the RAPID program to help answer these questions, and study results are expected over the next few years. NIOSH has been conducting research on EMF exposure in the workplace since 1991 and is working cooperatively with researchers in other government agencies, universities, employers, and labor organizations to share information.

For copies of “Questions and Answers: EMF in the Workplace” (Publication Number DOE/GO-10095-218, DE95013123), call the NIOSH toll-free number: 1-800-35-NIOSH
or the EMF Infoline, (800) 363-2383 [ (703) 442-8934 in the Washington, D.C. area]

A shorter NIOSH companion publication, “NIOSH Fact Sheet: EMFs in the Workplace”