Article

Assessment for occupational hazards to cardiac implantable electronic devices due to electric field exposure at power frequency within the framework of European standards

¹ Université de Lorraine, Institut Jean Lamour (UMR 7198), CNRS, 2 allée André Guinier, Campus Artem, 54000 Nancy, France
² EDF, Direction Prévention Santé Sécurité Groupe, Pôle Prévention des Risques, 4 rue Floréal, 75017 Paris, France
³ RTE, Direction Développement Ingénierie, Département Concertation et Environnement, Place du Dôme, 92073 Paris La Défense Cedex, France

^* Corresponding author: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Received: 23 September 2024
Accepted: 30 November 2024

Abstract

Workers with cardiovascular implantable electronic devices (CIEDs) may face interference hazards from electromagnetic fields emitted by industrial electrical apparatus, which may compromise device functionality and safety, leading to significant occupational risks. A risk assessment approach was proposed for the non-clinical investigation in the process of specific assessing within the framework of the European standards EN 50527. An exposure system, the voltage injection system (VIS), was introduced to experimentally investigate the interference thresholds and the induced voltages of CIEDs exposed to electric fields (EFs) at power frequency (50 Hz) by in vitro testing. A thorough risk assessment was performed on four CIEDs in two exposure scenarios, as an application illustration of VIS assessment. Correspondence between in vitro testing and real-case exposure was founded based on the study of induced voltages under EF exposures to establish VIS assessment. In the risk assessment for CIEDs, severe interference was observed in some cases with maximum sensitivity and in ICDs with nominal sensitivity at the high Action Level specified in the Directive 2013/35/EU (20 kV/m). The VIS assessment proposed in this work provides an efficient, easy-to-setup, on-site solution to evaluate the EF exposures at power frequency of workers with CIEDs in the workplace. The findings highlight the importance of conducting risk assessment for specific cases.