By Ken Barat
A Review of the ANSI Z136.8 and Why You Should Be Using It
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Category Archives: ANSI Standards
In-Depth Insights Into the New ANSI Z136.8!
Laser use in the dynamic world of research, development, and testing can present quite the challenge to Laser Safety Officers (LSOs). From the production of non-certified home-built lasers to fiber lasers to ensuring utilization of proper eye wear and alignment techniques, a research and development (R&D) LSO must be able to adapt to each situation that arises! ANSI Z136.8 introduces new guidance specific to R&D that that will help LSOs meet the unique challenges of their facility. Z136.8 manages to include all the relevant information from Z136.1 in a condensed format that, in conjunction with newly added guidance specific to R&D, acts as an invaluable tool to LSOs at R&D facilities. The standard allows for quick reference to proper guidance on the issues that an R&D LSO faces on a daily basis. It provides the LSO with better professional judgment and support and increases their ability to be an effective safety consultant in the constantly changing world of research and development. The addition of this standard as a reference would be beneficial to any R&D LSO!
Take a look at our PowerPoint presentation for the inside scoop on the new ANZI Z136.8 standard!
Click here to purchase the NEW! ANSI Z136.8 Safe Use of Lasers in Research, Development, or Testing ($160 Non-members, $140 Members).
LIA’s Newest Standard – Z136.2 Safe Use of Optical Fiber Communication Systems Utilizing Laser Diode and LED Sources
The release of the standard, timed to coincide with the annual meeting of the Z136 committee March 17 in Orlando, has been more than 10 years in the making.
“Fiber is going everywhere now,” says Ron Petersen, who spearheaded the team that crafted the guidelines. “With (Verizon) Fios and numerous other systems, and now even for going back and forth between base stations for the switch for cellular telephone, it is being used for absolutely everything.”
Since the early ‘90s, the technology “has evolved from a visionary laboratory technology to a mature industry standard for telecommunication transport,” notes Paul Testagrossa, secretary of the Z136.2 subcommittee and an engineer with Alcatel-Lucent. “This has been made possible with smaller, more powerful laser sources and trends to single-mode from multimode fiber. This has led to more hazard concerns (due to the) higher energy and higher power density associated with these systems.” Continue reading
New ANSI Z136.8 – Improves Laser Safety in the Research Lab
A new standard geared to lasers employed in research takes a “more realistic” approach to guiding safety officers overseeing such work, in which the use of customized laser devices and fiber optics is common.
American National Standard for Safe Use of Lasers in Research, Development, or Testing, the title of the new ANSI Z136.8 standard, also addresses injury prevention in specific areas where experiments are conducted.
“In the research setting, you’re often dealing with lasers that don’t have all the bells and whistles,” explains Ken Barat, chairman of the subcommittee that developed the new standard. “Z136.8 recognizes that many lasers in the research setting are homemade and may not have all these controls, so I do not have to explain why they are missing to auditors. (Z136.8) allows LSOs to accept those things rather than say you’re out of compliance.”