Absenteeism and mortality of workers exposed to electromagnetic fields in the French Electricity Company

• Published in: Occupational medicine (Oxford) Vol. 49; no. 8; pp. 517 - 524
• Main Authors: Chevalier, A., Souques, M., Coing, F., Dab, W., Lambrozo, J.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Oxford University Press 01-11-1999
• Subjects: Absenteeism; Adult; Biological and medical sciences; Effects of various physical factors on living matter (vibrations, electric field, ultrasound, sound...); Electromagnetic fields; Electromagnetic Fields - adverse effects; epidemiological surveillance; France; France - epidemiology; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; health status; Health Status Indicators; Humans; Longitudinal Studies; Male; Occupational Diseases - epidemiology; Occupational Diseases - etiology; Occupational Diseases - mortality; Occupational Exposure - adverse effects; Power Plants; Retrospective Studies; Tissues, organs and organisms biophysics; France; Europe; Human; Health; Toxicity; Mortality; Electromagnetic field; Absenteeism; Biological effect; Occupational exposure; Sanitary surveillance; Epidemiology; Electric power industry; Occupational medicine
• ISSN: 0962-7480; 1471-8405
• DOI: 10.1093/occmed/49.8.517

The objective of this study was to describe the health status of electricity workers exposed to electromagnetic fields during their job. Two groups of exposed workers were studied from 1978 to 1993: the live line workers (n = 121) and the substation workers (n = 232.7) of the French Electricity Company (EDF). A control group was randomly selected from all the company non-management male employees; one control for each exposed subject was matched for the first year of employment. Absenteeism indices and mortality rates were computed and compared in the exposed and control groups. The absence rates were 1 .98% in the substation workers and 2.5% in the control group (p<0.001) and 2.7% in the live-line workers and 2.8% in the control group (NS). No effect of the length of exposure was found. However the medical causes of sickness absence were different: exposed employees had less psychiatric and respiratory diseases but more accidents at work than their control group. Relative risks of accidents at work were 1.2 [95% confidence interval (Cl) = 1.08–1.33] for substation workers and 3.22 (Cl = 1.78–5.88) for live line workers. EDF electromagnetic field exposed workers seemed not to be affected by any specific health problems except for an excess of accidents at work.