Where
would we all be if it were not for the hard work of the electricity companies?
The answer is clear. We would all be in a very sorry state, our lives and
prospects immeasurably diminished. For some however, the EHS, their lives have
been and continue to be both improved and blighted by electromagnetism.
The
electrical power industries surely would not want their linesman's lives
jeopardised any more than they have to be. It may be in their best interests to
encourage research into the how and why of Electromagnetic Hypersensitivity -
EHS. By selecting-out job applicants who may be predisposed to succumb to EHS they
will not only be doing applicants a service but will be acting responsibly and
with due diligence. They will also not be squandering their training and safety
budgets on workers who may ultimately be unable to perform the dangerous roles
for which they have been prepared. Of course there are occupational hazards
involved in the work of electricity supply, generation and distribution. That
in itself should not cause those involved concern as it is self-evident that
there are risks associated with electromagnetism, as indeed there are around most
of the powerful industrial forces that now enhance our lives.
But,
can running high-voltage cables over people's houses still be justified in a
fair and decent society, where treating others as one would wish to be treated
is something to which we can all aspire?
Criticism
of Distribution Network Operators may not be entirely fair as a lot of the
infrastructure is a legacy of times past when questioning the adequacy of
electricity safeguards was considered unpatriotic. The less obvious dangers
were glossed-over then. Today, undue influence on policies and the media ensure
the effects are just as invisible. So too is the suffering of those living with
the consequences and it will remain invisible as long as denial and ignorance prevail
in society.
Incredibly,
new houses are still being built under power lines, a practice the Government
continues to allow as it prevaricates year after year, allowing risks to
perpetuate, generation after generation.
Where,
in all of this, are the people we elected to represent us? Where is the honour and
integrity amongst civil servants and industry members whose safeguards, we the
people, demand adequately protect workers and all members of British society?
Are
those struck down by EHS just so much collateral damage? Are the injustices they
endure merely so much water to be callously shrugged off the backs of those who
supposedly took on the role of society’s protectors?
You
may feel this issue does not affect you or anyone you care about. Sufferers of
EHS have had this functional impairment bestowed upon them slowly, over time or
suddenly, overnight. To-date there is no certain remedy for EHS except avoidance
of all things electrical. Be cautious if you dismiss the suffering of the EHS
out-of-hand. In the future, you too could find yourself an unwilling pioneer
and come to realise for better or worse, there is no way back to the life you know
now.
