Leukaemia Risk Reduction in Child Care Centres
Children exposed to electromagnetic fields are at significantly increased risks of developing Leukaemia.
The client was profoundly concerned as many of their child care centres directly abutted facilities which emit potentially strong electromagnetic fields.
Using state of the art measuring equipment a measurement and risk assessment program was conducted in each centre to identify any areas of immediate risk and longer term risks.
Where areas of risk were identified prudent avoidance strategies were deployed including shielding and reallocation of spaces to ensure no child or member of staff was exposed to long term risks.
Breast Cancer Cluster Investigation in a Hospital
Males and females exposed to electromagnetic fields from high current electrical power systems, x-ray equipment and light at night due to shiftwork, are reported in a growing number of studies to be at increased risk of developing breast cancers.
Using the NIOSH Cancer Cluster Investigation Protocol all known, probable and possible causes of breast cancer were identified and investigated in a reported breast cancer cluster.
Careful reconstruction of past exposures and measurement programs found only significantly elevated levels of extremely low frequency magnetic fields from sub floor electrical circuits and switchboards were permeating the work areas.
Field reduction engineering means were deployed and the ward area space was reallocated to ensure no continuous exposure would occur in the future.
Due Diligence in Property Acquisition
A family owned business had acquired a new business premise, signed a lease and upgraded their graphics computer design equipment only to find that their whole area was permeated by extremely low frequency magnetic fields from the electrical power system, at sufficiently high levels to cause interference and distortion to their equipment, rendering it unusable. Field measurements confirmed the nature of the problem and expert electrical engineering corrections of the external overhead electrical systems were made to correct the problem.
Practice Prudent Avoidance at Design Stage or risk your investment
The World Bank had the electrical system in its new HQ designed and installed according to low field principals to avoid any problems. In Australia a major bank was experiencing recurrent but difficult to predict, control or diagnose computer systems malfunctions in its most important international transaction centre costing the bank and its trading staff a great deal of angst. The problem was finally traced to the induced and radiated electromagnetic interference from the mezzanine plant room and the many variable speed drives located there. The whole problem which proved very difficult to resolve could have been avoided by more careful and informed electrical design and allocation of spaces and functions before the problem was “built in”.
A leading R&D organisation was planning to build a purpose built facility to house a very expensive instrument that would not work in even slightly elevated electromagnetic fields. It was therefore critical to be certain about the sources that could affect the proposed site and to have tight technical low field design requirements for the electrical systems of the new facility.
The role of advanced safety in facilitating successful technology transfer
A team of scientific engineering and technical staff were certain they had achieved an important productivity improvement but it involved industry adopting a new and novel technology. To the industry involved it looked dangerous and was accordingly resisted until it was proposed that the novel technology be the subject of a full hazard operability study involving both the innovators and the plant engineers, maintenance staff and operators. As the study progressed all of the operational and safety issues were explored in detail and resolved ensuring that the technology was adopted and integrated world- wide by that particular company.
Ergonomic System of Work Massively Boosts Productivity
A new method to test, certify and process significant quantities of timber building materials needed to be scaled up to achieve industrial efficiency and importantly reduce the previously manifest risks of muscular skeletal (manual handling) injury. The resolution required adequate space for trucks to position to enable the loads to be delivered directly into conveyer systems and the automated testing system. Very simple ergonomic design removed the need for multiple handling and proved the efficiency of the system. The development team won the King of Sweden’s Prize worth US$250,000
New Program Reduces Manual Handling Injury Rates
First offered and run in a construction and heavy engineering operation this new type of risk reduction program effectively reduced the lost time due to manual handling injury before the intervention from one man year costing over $190,000 down to 30 minutes costing $27 in the following year.