Where Would We All Be Without Electricity?

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.