What to do when employees claim EHS

With increased media coverage on potential dangers, it's not surprising if at some point you encounter in your workplace someone who claims to suffer from EHS (electromagnetic hypersensitivity). While the idea that certain individuals may experience adverse reactions from various kinds of electromagnetic radiation goes back over 30 years, the recent proliferation of increasingly powerful wireless services has led to a small but growing backlash, with one city in France (Herouville Saint-Clair) deciding to "Remove all installations of mobile phones and Wi Fi located in schools and their proximity" according to their website (www.herouville.net/Les-antennes-relais).

If any people in your office are concerned about wireless safety, you can point them to reassuring messages on government sites (e.g., www.fcc.gov/oet/rfsafety/rf-faqs.html) and Cisco's page on RF safety for the Aironet 1200 series (www.cisco.com/en/US/prod/collateral/wireless/ps5678/ps430/ps4076/prod_white_paper09186a0080088791.html).

Nevertheless, with the amount of competing information available, it's unlikely that citing a few facts or sources will convince someone who claims to suffer from EHS that it's all in his or her head. While a scientifically recognized mechanism by which wireless devices could cause harm may be lacking (with many studies supporting the safety of such devices), EHS champions continue to put out studies purporting to show negative health effects. For example, one recent study by a long-time champion of EHS concerns showed an immediate effect on the heart rate of certain individuals when exposed to microwave radiation similar to those used in wireless devices, even though the subjects didn't know when the actual radiation was being turned on or off (www.magdahavas.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/Havas-HRV-Ramazzini1.pdf).

Given the simplicity of the experiment, it wouldn't be difficult for you to test if an individual who claims to suffer palpitations or similar symptoms is actually responding temporally to a wireless device being turn on or off.

If you want to accommodate people who are concerned about possible risks, you can reduce microwave radiation sources using the same strategies you'd use to reduce wireless interference (e.g., keep the person's work space further from wireless sources, use a laptop - possibly running software such as Cisco Spectrum Expert - to test signal strength, and turn off any unnecessary wireless devices, including unneeded wireless scanning services on a laptop if it's using a wired connection).

Also, if you're involved in making decisions regarding setting up wireless connections in places frequented by children, you may want to prepare yourself for any questions or concerns related to safety, since much of the recent media attention has focused on parental concerns that wireless devices may be more dangerous for children.