With new and broader applications of lasers becoming commonplace, creating a laser safe environment has never been more pressing. Lasers have taken on ever expanding roles across industries, with recent innovations driving tremendous double-digit growth in the laser device market in recent years. New applications within surgery, lithography, and welding emerged a few years ago enabling new breakthroughs from healthcare to electronics to manufacturing. With sweeping new applications across our modern marketplace, laser safety must be an important consideration.
THE ESSENTIALS OF LASER SAFETY IN A FEW KEY STEPS
Education is paramount. Identifying a Laser Safety Officer or “LSO” will ensure that someone is directly responsible for regulatory compliance, and the development of solutions to assist users in their safety efforts. It is the officer’s responsibility to monitor the safe usage of lasers in a work environment by defining proper control measures. The LSO also ensures that all employees who operate, maintain, or service laser products are properly trained. LSO training and certification programs are available both online as well as through the US Department of Energy.
Mitigation is key. Among the most effective strategy to avoid unnecessary risk or hazard. Beyond the safety of the laser device itself, this safety strategy really comes down to a few key solutions:
Barriers: physical materials that protect the individual from exposure to the laser. These come in many possible forms including windows, curtains, partitions, covers etc. Depending on the laser environment, there are many suitable solutions and combinations to choose from ranging from portable, foldable, or tabletop to fixed, tailor made enclosures the size of a full room.
Eyewear. Proper laser safety eyewear is a mandatory component of PPE that is relatively easy to acquire and is very cost effective. Selection of the correct filter and lens solution requires specialized understanding in order to provide the critical level of protection based on the specific laser environment or exposure. Varying degrees of protection and visible light transmission levels and a wide selection of modern frames are available to offer comfort, style, durability and a maximum field of view. High-performance filter technologies for protective eyewear are available in glass, polycarbonate, as well as thin film coated filters.
Controlled Access. There are several ways to limit entrance or exposure to lasers. A physical solution, such as an automatic shut off triggered by breaching a door seal can be built into an enclosure solution. However, for a more basic and cost effective standard, maintaining clear and visible signage that restricts entry and provides a complete line of warning, caution and danger notice can be customized for the specific environment.