Environment - part 2

Delving into references from Feng Shui, I was determined to do something to make my new environment more people-friendly. I looked up my best directions and got a compass to check out the directions in the room. The compass worked fine at home, pointing to north with no problem. In the room, however, it was a bit more complicated. On one side of my desk, the compass pointed to the corner to my right as north. On the other side of my desk, the compass pointed toward the door on my left as north. In the middle of the room, the compass pointed toward the left wall. A bit further in, it pointed in the opposite direction.

Investigating this a bit further, I found that when the huge air conditioning unit (originally installed to cool a PBX - phone system) was turned on, the compass would point in that direction as well. I realized that it was reacting to electromagnetic fields generated by the equipment rather than to true north. The strongest pulls were to the huge A/C and to the 'high voltage' panel near the door, which contains building electrical feeder lines.

I was relieved to realize that I am not going crazy. I think that I am simply sensitive to those electromagnetic fields that criss-cross the room. After doing tai chi for 20 plus years, you get to be very aware of energetic flows. That's probably what's causing me to feel so jumpy. It also explains the lightheadedness, itchy feelings, loss of appetite, depression, etc. When I'm in the room for a while, I feel like I'm getting a sunburn.

What's bizarre, is the reaction of people to my unease. My boss says we'll have to talk about it at some point. One guy said that this room isn't half as bad as some he has worked in. Another said that we can arrange to have it cleaned from time to time. One colleague tried to convince me that the city is full of competing electromagnetic fields and there's really no place that doesn't have them, so it can't be helped. All in all, some people look at me with pity, some like they're laughing at my plight, but I get the feeling that they think I'm over dramatizing the situation.

Either they don't believe that I'm having physical symptoms from that room, or they don't care and wish I would just shut up about it. I guess they don't feel the energy flowing through that room as I do. Now, I've worked with computer equipment for about 14 years and never had a problem. I think it's the combination of factors in that room - high voltage electrical, huge a/c, power lines across the ceiling, all the phone tie downs and cabling around the perimeter of the room, and computer equipment we are working on, combining to create an unpleasant electromagnetic situation.

One colleague did make a useful suggestion. He said OSHA has standards for workplace safety. So I looked up the OSHA website and evidently they do have standards for levels of electromagnetic exposure that are considered safe. One can measure the level of the fields in a room. Ok. I ordered an inexpensive meter to actually measure the emf levels in the room. I plan to check the various spots in the room and see what the readings are.

If the levels are high by OSHA standards, then I have something specific that I can take to management. If the levels are acceptable, then maybe I can locate a spot in that room where the fields are weakest, for me to work in. Meanwhile, I go out of the room whenever possible or if I get too charged up.

Will post the results of the meter readings when my meter arrives.