The Merchant Shipping and Fishing Vessels (Health and Safety at Work) (Electromagnetic Fields) Regulations 2016

Interpretation U.K.

2.—(1) In these Regulations—

“the Act” means the Merchant Shipping Act 1995;

“AL” means an action level set out in Part 2 or 3 of the Schedule;

“direct biophysical effect” means an effect on human body tissue caused by its presence in an electromagnetic field;

“electromagnetic field” means a static electric, static magnetic and time-varying electric, magnetic and electromagnetic field with a frequency up to 300 GHz;

“ELV” means an exposure limit value set out in Part 2 of the Schedule;

“employer” means a person by whom a worker is employed on a ship under a contract of employment;

“the General Duties Regulations” means the Merchant Shipping and Fishing Vessels (Health and Safety at Work) Regulations 1997(1);

“Government ship” has the meaning given in section 308(4) of the Act;

“health and safety” includes the occupational health and safety of persons while on board a ship and while boarding or leaving a ship;

“health effect” means a direct biophysical effect which is potentially harmful to human health;

“indirect effect” means an effect, caused by the presence of an object or a substance in an electromagnetic field, which may present a safety or health hazard;

“Merchant Shipping Notice” means a notice described as such and issued by the Secretary of State and any reference to a particular Merchant Shipping Notice includes a reference to a Merchant Shipping Notice amending or replacing that Notice which is considered by the Secretary of State to be relevant from time to time;

“sensory effect” means a direct biophysical effect involving a transient disturbance in sensory perception or a minor and temporary change in brain function;

“ship” includes hovercraft;

“United Kingdom ship” means a ship which is—

(a)

a United Kingdom ship within the meaning of section 85(2) of the Act,

(b)

a Government ship, or

(c)

a hovercraft registered under the Hovercraft Act 1968(2); and

“worker at particular risk” means—

(a)

a worker who has declared to his or her employer a condition which may lead to a higher susceptibility to the potential effects of exposure to electromagnetic fields; or

(b)

a worker who works in close proximity to electro-explosive devices, explosive materials or flammable atmospheres.

(2) In these Regulations, a reference to workers is, in relation to an employer, to be treated as a reference to the workers of that employer while they are at work.

(3) In the application of these Regulations to a hovercraft, a reference to the master of a ship includes a reference to the captain of that hovercraft.

Commencement Information

I1 Reg. 2 in force at 21.11.2016, see reg. 1

(1)

S.I. 1997/2962; as amended by S.I. 1998/2411 and 2001/54. There are other amendments, but none is relevant.

(2)

1968 c. 59.