The BLS will host a reception at ILSC to recognize its certified Laser Safety Officers, medical (CMLSO) and non-medical (CLSO), and to present BLS Illumination Award. The recipient of the award will be announced at the reception, held on Monday, 18 March 2019. The first BLS Illumination Award was presented to Mount Sinai Health System in 2017 in recognition of its support of laser safety through employee participation within the laser safety community and outstanding contributions to the field of laser safety.
Continuing a tradition begun at ILSC 2017, BLS will honor its CLSOs and CMLSOs who have been certified for 10 years or more by recognizing them with a commemorative lapel pin.
BLS will be holding CLSO and CMLSO exams the day before the start of ILSC on March 17th, 2019 for approved applicants who have submitted all application materials on or before March 1st, 2019.
According to Barbara Sams, Executive Director of BLS, “The ILSC venue provides an excellent opportunity for those eligible to take their CLSO or CMLSO exam, and then further their laser safety education at the conference. Of particular interest should be the Medical and Technical Practical Applications Seminars, MPAS and TPAS respectively, both of which are once again chaired by BLS certified laser safety officers.”
For more information on LSO or MLSO certification, please contact BLS.
For conference and registration details for ILSC, please contact LIA.
As part of our continued celebration of National Safety Month, we are raising awareness on the value of becoming a Certified Medical Laser Safety Officer (CMLSO) with this next blog in the June Laser Safety series. Click here to read about becoming a Certified Laser Safety Officer (CLSO).
Oftentimes the position of medical laser safety officer (MLSO) goes unrewarded, overlooked as long as the individual with that responsibility does the job correctly – after all, done right nothing happens.
Elevate your status by proving your knowledge of laser safety protocols and requirements through certification by the Board of Laser Safety. Whether you are an RN, OR supervisor, or technician with the desire to add to your job designation, MLSO certification will demonstrate your value to the organization that employs you.
“Certification has validated my credibility and allowed me to work with different laser companies to assist in their training programs as well,” said Terri Clark, a Registered Nurse at SpaMedica in Toronto, Canada.
Certification can also help to confirm your employer’s commitment to a safe working environment. One way to avoid workplace accidents is to follow AORN’s Guidelines for Perioperative Practice. Evidence-based guidance for nursing, it not only helps to standardize perioperative practice, but promotes patient and worker safety as well. In the recommendations for personnel working in a laser environment, the guidelines call for a thorough understanding of laser procedures, formal education (medical laser safety AND MLSO), and attainment of certification as a MLSO.
One of your first steps to becoming certified is by taking LIA’s Medical Laser Safety Officer Training. This training meets one of the four requirements to sit for the Certified Medical Laser Safety Officer (CMLSO) exam. For your convenience, this training is available as an online course as well as in the classroom. Education is an essential element of laser safety and LIA is committed to making the opportunity to deepen laser safety knowledge widely available. These MLSO training courses meet the requirements outlined by ANSI, OSHA and The Joint Commission.
To obtain certification, you must pass the 100-question CMLSO exam, which is based on the 2011 edition of the ANSI Z136.3 Safe Use of Lasers in Health Care standard and covers eight areas of practice related to medical laser safety. You may take the CMLSO exam at a computer-based testing location or by pencil-and-paper following most LIA MLSO classroom courses.
For more information on becoming a CMLSO, visit www.lasersafety.org or call 407-985-3810.
As we prepare to celebrate National Safety Month in June, we want to highlight the importance of laser safety with a series of laser safety focused blogs starting this month. One of LIA’s missions includes fostering laser safety worldwide. We do so by offering online, classroom & in-house laser safety courses. To learn more, click here.
Are you looking for ways to show your commitment to a higher standard of laser safety?
Do you want to prove to your current or future employer that you possess the knowledge to lead a laser safety program?
If this sounds like you, read on to find out more about the Certified Laser Safety Officer (CLSO) exam offered by the Board of Laser Safety (BLS).
“For professionals working around lasers, becoming certified by the Board of Laser Safety (BLS) is one of the highest credentials a laser safety officer (LSO) can earn,” said Laser Focus World Magazine.
LIA collaborates with BLS to enhance laser safety professionals’ knowledge and commitment to laser safety. The BLS is a non-profit, whose mission is to provide a means for improvement in the practice of laser safety by providing opportunities for the education, assessment, and recognition of laser safety professionals.
With the ever-growing demand for laser safety professionals and the competitive nature of roles within this field, determining how you will stand out among candidates in your career is imperative. LSO certification can be a pivotal resource for those looking to better complete the tasks in their current role or gain security in their current position and move into a position of more responsibility.
Certification is designed for those who are working in a role as a Laser Safety Officer (LSO) or a position supporting an LSO. Whether you work in a military, research, technical, or industrial application of laser use, this certification will show that you are equipped with the knowledge and ability to manage a laser safety program.
Once certified, you must attain 10 certification maintenance (CM) points over each 3-year certification cycle in order to renew your certification. LIA offers many opportunities for CM points. You can gain these points by attending our International Laser Safety Conference (ILSC), taking select LIA courses or volunteering for various laser safety publication projects.
If you are interested in becoming certified, visit www.lasersafety.org or call 407-985-3810.
The new award recognizes an institution, company, or organization that directly employs a certified Laser Safety Officer & makes outstanding contributions to the laser safety community
ORLANDO, FL (PRWEB) MAY 11, 2017
The Board of Laser Safety (BLS) is proud to announce the first recipient of the BLS Illumination Award, Mount Sinai Health System. The award was presented at the BLS CLSO & CMLSO Appreciation Reception during the 2017 International Laser Safety Conference on March 20 at the Sheraton Atlanta Airport in Atlanta, GA.
Laser Institute of America’s (LIA) International Laser Safety Conference (ILSC®), held biennially, gathers hundreds of laser safety professionals from around the world to discuss the latest topics in medical and industrial laser safety.
The BLS Illumination Award has been created to recognize an institution, company or organization that directly employs a certified laser safety officer and provides encouragement and support for employee participation within the laser safety community and/or has made outstanding contributions to the field of laser safety.
Jacob Kamen, who received the award at ILSC 2017 on behalf of his employer, Mount Sinai Health System, said it validates all the effort and energy Mount Sinai has put into its Laser Safety Program over the past 7 years.
“The Mount Sinai Health System is very proud to be a recipient of the BLS Illumination Award. This award validates Mount Sinai has been a significant supporter of laser safety education,” Kamen said.
Partnering with Laser Institute of America to host New York City’s first-ever LIA MLSO course in 2015, Mount Sinai Health System has advanced its education goal further. Mount Sinai was also the first institution to sponsor the BLS certified medical laser safety officer (CMLSO) examination in New York City. Presently, Mount Sinai boasts three CMLSOs on staff. The Laser Safety Program has recently expanded to 8 hospitals that incorporate the Mount Sinai Health System.
Additionally, Mount Sinai has supplemented their online training by creating multiple laser safety training courses covering a variety of clinical and research areas. These courses have been used by more than 5,000 staff members throughout the entire Mount Sinai Health System.
“Mount Sinai hopes that this award will provide encouragement for other hospitals to follow the path and create a safe laser environment for employee and patients,” Kamen added.
Barbara Sams, Executive Director of BLS, says, “We were honored to be able to present the inaugural BLS Illumination Award to Mount Sinai at ILSC 2017. We feel it is important to recognize the employer who has the vision to see the significance of investing in its personnel and challenges its staff to seek knowledge through various channels of continuing education.”
Due to its popularity and success at ILSC 2017, BLS is now calling on all CLSOs and CMLSOs who would like their employer to be considered for the next award. To nominate your company/employer, please review the criteria and download the Nomination and Supporter forms, complete with submission instructions, from the BLS website. Nominations can also be submitted directly to Barbara Sams, Executive Director, at bls(at)lasersafety.org.
The Board of Laser Safety (BLS) is a non-profit organization affiliated with Laser Institute of America (LIA) and dedicated to the improvement in the practice of laser safety by providing opportunities for the education, assessment and recognition of laser safety professionals. To learn more about BLS and their certification opportunities for medical and non-medical laser safety professionals, please visit http://www.lasersafety.org.
The Laser Institute of America (LIA) supports the BLS’ mission by offering laser safety training for both LSOs and MLSOs. As the professional society for laser applications and safety, LIA is dedicated to serving the industrial, medical, research and government communities worldwide. For more information on the LIA, visit http://www.lia.org or call 1-800-34-LASER today.
All CLSO exam questions reviewed for clarity and ANSI Z136.1-2014 Safe Use of Lasers standard compliance
For Immediate Release
ORLANDO, FL – The Board of Laser Safety (BLS) announces today that its Certified Laser Safety Officer (CLSO) exam is now revised to comply with the ANSI Z136.1 Safe Use of Lasers standard, 2014 edition. The CLSO exam is intended for all non-medical laser safety officers and is administered by the BLS.
The first in-person offering of the revised exam will take place on Sunday, March 19, at the Sheraton Atlanta Airport, the day before the official start of the 2017 International Laser Safety Conference (ILSC®). In addition to the March 19 exam preceding ILSC, future in-person opportunities to take the exam include June 9 in Denver, CO, and September 22 in Chicago, IL. The revised CLSO exam is also available via computer-based testing in the U.S. and Canada through PSI Comira.
“All questions on the revised exam have been reviewed by a team of subject-matter experts and are now presented more clearly and concisely so candidates can focus on the content of the question rather than how it is worded,” said Barbara Sams, BLS Executive Director.
Now is the time to register to take the newly revised CLSO exam to remain competitive in the field. Interested candidates are advised to contact the BLS office with any additional questions regarding the exam at +1.407.985.3810 or bls@lasersafety.org.
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About Board of Laser Safety
The Board of Laser Safety (BLS) is a non-profit organization affiliated with Laser Institute of America (LIA) and dedicated to the improvement in the practice of laser safety by providing opportunities for the education, assessment and recognition of laser safety professionals. To learn more about BLS and their certification opportunities for medical and non-medical laser safety professionals, please visit http://www.lasersafety.org.
About LIA
The Laser Institute of America (LIA) is the professional society for laser applications and safety serving the industrial, educational, medical, research and government communities throughout the world since 1968. http://www.lia.org, 13501 Ingenuity Drive, Ste 128, Orlando, FL 32826, +1.407.380.1553.
