MRI suites and residual design risk from static magnetic field

Since the inception of the UK Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 1994 through to the 2007 Construction (Design and Management) Regulations a duty has been imposed upon the client of premises where a notifiable project has been carried out, to provide a health and safety file which may be needed during future work. This work includes cleaning, maintenance, alterations, extensions, refurbishment and demolition. The Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2007 also impose further duties on clients to provide information to those who will use their premises as a workplace. This paper reports the results of a study which assessed whether information relevant to the health and safety file for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) installations in hospitals having had passive magnetic shielding installed was available from National Health Service trusts in Wales, Scotland and England. Information on both the site-specific design and the actual position of the static magnetic field was lacking, as were the existence of as-built drawings showing the magnetic shielding. Information relevant to the risk management of the static magnetic field of MRI suites in the form of a health and safety file is sparse, incomplete and sometimes irrelevant.