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#1 Posted : 11 September 2003 17:32:00(UTC)
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Posted By ian lander
Staff have been issued with name badges which are affixed in place on the shirt by a small magnets. 2 women members of staff have emailed me to say magnets have been shown to be a factor in breast cancer. DOes anybody have any info.
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#2 Posted : 11 September 2003 20:42:00(UTC)
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Posted By Neil Pearson
Do you have an occupational health practitioner? If so, they should be able to do a bit of research. It sounds unlikely to me. We live in the enormous magnetic fields of the earth and the sun. By contrast a piddling little lapel badge surely can't have any significant impact. I can't see the mechanism either. I bet if you looked in a search engine you'd find charity cancer badges with magnets!
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#3 Posted : 12 September 2003 09:11:00(UTC)
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Posted By Jane Blunt
The Earth's magnetic field is not very large, in fact. The fields from artificial permanent magnets are much larger.

I have not come across any literature linking magnets to breast cancer. However, you might like to look at the NRPB website,
http://www.nrpb.org/index.htm

where there is an enormous amount of information on fields (although most is either focused on power frequency fields, ELF, or the mobile phone frequencies).

Jane
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#4 Posted : 12 September 2003 09:22:00(UTC)
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Posted By Ian Stone
As an aid to pain relief I wear a magnet in the shape of a watch (no really I do), it was bought from a company called bioflow. They have a website that gives useful information on magnets and the benifits of wearing them.

Hope this helps

Ian
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#5 Posted : 12 September 2003 09:24:00(UTC)
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Posted By Hilary Charlton
Hiya

We use rare earth magnets as part of our product and use in the region of 250,000 magnets a year. I have done some research, particularly with regard to medical implants such as pacemakers (which can be reset to factory settings in high magnetic fields) and our AED but have found no evidence linking these to breast cancer. That is not, however, to say that there is no link but certainly I have not come across one.

Recommend you go back to the supplier and get their assurance on this - no sense in keeping a dog and barking yourself.

Hilary
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#6 Posted : 12 September 2003 09:43:00(UTC)
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Posted By Jonathan Breeze
The National Radiological Protection Board (NRPB) are likely to have a database of research on the effects of electromagnetism, which may or may not be relevant.

Their website is:

http://www.nrpb.org/

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#7 Posted : 12 September 2003 09:53:00(UTC)
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Posted By Jonathan Breeze
I should read prior posts more carefully.
I should read prior posts more carefully.
I should read prior posts more carefully.

Sorry Jane.
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#8 Posted : 12 September 2003 13:11:00(UTC)
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Posted By Dave Wilson
Why do we as H&S people have to get involved in this dross, are humans really that gullable and paranoid.

When are we (humans) going to start enjoying life and not get too caught up in all this Phd research gumph and enjoy yourself.

Would suggest that there is something else behind this where they dont want a badge etc

Simple give them a badge with a pin!!!!!!!!!!
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#9 Posted : 12 September 2003 15:53:00(UTC)
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Posted By Lance Morgan
Then they might stick themselves , get septicaemia and die!
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#10 Posted : 12 September 2003 16:00:00(UTC)
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Posted By Dave Wilson
Could always get a 'pass' on a bit of cord and catch it on the door and hang yourself!

Sticky Back plastic thats the stuff for me! Then the fumes and chemicals might give me asthma or contact dermatitis!

Better still everyone has to have a tatoo on their forehead in henna or what about good old fashioned management where you knew your employees name!
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#11 Posted : 12 September 2003 16:09:00(UTC)
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Posted By Jay Joshi
This appears to be another case of how incomplete information and knowledge can increase perceived risk.

There is some information that ELECTRO-Magnetic fields due to high voltage power lines caused a cluster of cases in USA, but no definitive link was proven in latter studies.

There is a difference between static and varying magnetic fields--the badges have static fields. In most of the research, the subject has been varying electromagnetic fields.

It appears that someone has mistakenly made a link between magnets with static fields ( not electromagnets!) amd electromagnetic fields without understanding the difference.
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#12 Posted : 12 September 2003 16:21:00(UTC)
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Posted By Jonathan Breeze
And to think my grandmother used to swear by sleeping with a magnet under her mattress to cure her arthiritis.

Mind you she's dead now, so that just proves it!

Who'd have thought it, killed off at 92 by a magnet!
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#13 Posted : 12 September 2003 18:37:00(UTC)
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Posted By ian lander
Thankyou everybody. Better stop here I think before I fall off my chair.My Wife and I have had a good giggle at some the responses. Its time to write my letter to staff. Hope I do not stab myself and catch septacaemia.
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