Tag Archives: ANSI Z136 Standards

LIA Spreads the Word on Laser Safety in Dallas

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By Andrew Morrison

As LIA’s sales and client representative, I travel to a lot of conferences to connect with our partners and learn about new companies. My latest trip took me to Dallas for the Safety 2015 conference by the American Society of Safety Engineers.

Andrew Morrison

Almost all the interest at our booth regarded our laser safety officer training. Many attendees stopping by to pick up a course catalog asked when and where courses were upcoming. (To stay updated on when and where our courses are being held, check out the training tab on our website.)

It was interesting that people who stopped by were either replacing someone and preparing to become their company’s new LSO, or just trying to get familiar with laser safety since their company had lasers onsite.

I also spoke with a few insurance company representatives who stopped by to gather information for their clients who have questions or need to get trained. A few people were just concerned that their company had no program in place and no training for employees, and they realized the dangers of this.

As our Education Director Gus Anibarro will tell you, it’s not enough to name an LSO for your industrial or medical environment — you need to keep that person trained based on the latest ANSI Z136 laser safety standards, as well as state and federal regulations.

In fact, Gus donated some LSO training for the silent auction at Safety 2015. One visitor to our booth couldn’t stay and chat because she said she needed to run over and get her bid in!

Since LIA is an OSHA alliance partner, we have even trained OSHA compliance officers and consultants on the best laser safety practices.

It’s part of everyone’s job at LIA to point you in the right direction so you can keep yourself and your employees and coworkers safe. We’re always ready to help steer you to the training course that best meets your needs.

That’s why I and my coworkers at LIA are always out there at conferences related to our mission. Think about it: Spending a few thousand dollars on laser safety training can help prevent deaths or serious injuries and save you far more money in accident-related costs in the long run.

Andrew Morrison visits about three to five non-LIA industry events annually to represent LIA and stay in touch with our members. To inquire about exhibiting at an LIA conference or advertising in our newsletter or on our website, contact him at amorrison@lia.org.

ILSC 2015 showcases the importance of CLSOs, CMLSOs in protecting workers and patients

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By Geoff Giordano

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — This morning, the International Laser Safety Conference kicks off with the annual meeting of the ASC Z136, the committee that produces the ANSI Z136 laser safety standards. Later, this evening’s welcome reception will be a relaxed introduction to an intensive, informative week.

Dozens of CLSOs and CMLSOs will be among the attendees at ILSC 2015. Take our CLSO/CMLSO survey to help us create a database documenting the benefits of certification.

It’s been two years since the first ILSC I attended, but the impact of that event has remained quite clear. Unlike the rest of LIA’s events, ILSC isn’t all about the wonderful things today’s lasers can help manufacture. ILSC takes a hard look at the damage done when lasers are handled improperly or used under less-than-perfect conditions.

Yes, ILSC does look ahead to new laser technologies and therapies — for example, the future of semiconductor lasers is the subject of a pair of sessions. But the primary focus is the significant human and monetary cost of laser hazards, and the tireless efforts of the experts gathered here to mitigate those hazards.

Among the experts here are dozens of certified laser safety officers (CLSOs) and medical laser safety officers (CMLSOs) who have gone the extra mile to qualify their credentials through the Board of Laser Safety’s tailored programs. Now more than 10 years old, the CLSO and CMLSO programs have bolstered the credibility of laser safety professionals in a broad range of institutions, from NASA and Boeing to numerous universities, laboratories and health-care facilities.

It’s perhaps not exaggeration to suggest that these certified laser safety professionals have prevented millions of dollars in damages and lawsuits thanks to their commitment to pursue CLSO and CMLSO status. One of the many sessions I’m looking forward to will document the changes in attitude of students following laser safety training, research performed by ILSC General Chair John O’Hagan of Public Health England, his PHE colleague Michael Higlett, and John Tyrer, chair of ILSC’s Laser Safety Scientific Sessions.

The biennial ILSC is always an exciting gathering of the top minds in laser safety — the people who write or enforce the standards that keep thousands of workers, researchers and patients safe. The work presented is testament to the discipline of laser safety. To further that discipline, we are asking our CLSOs and CMLSOs to help us create a database of information that attests to the credibility conferred by their certification. Please spend a few minutes taking our CLSO/CMLSO survey; your answers will help us demonstrate the value of certification to your employers and peers.

We look forward to catching up with old friends and meeting new ones this week. Please stop by the LIA booth for exclusive deals on laser safety publications.

Geoff is LIA’s communications director. To share your stories, tips and suggestions, contact him at ggiordano@lia.org.

Two of a Kind Sale Kicks Off Re-Launch of Electronic ANSI Z136 Standards

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ORLANDO, FL, Nov. 18, 2014 — Back by popular demand, Laser Institute of America (LIA) is excited to announce that the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) Z136 series of laser safety standards are once again available in digital format. No longer bound to only a hard copy, customers can now enjoy the flexibility of owning an electronic version of the same Z136 standard necessary for their particular profession. These standards, available for purchase from LIA directly, are essential tools for anyone using lasers in their business operations. The ANSI Z136 standards provide guidance for the safe use of lasers in the medical, telecommunication, manufacturing, and educational fields.

All nine of the Z136 standards are now available electronically including the parent standard Z136.1 Safe Use of Lasers. Serving as the cornerstone of all Z136 documents, the Z136.1 contains nationwide guidelines for the establishment of laser safety programs in industrial, military, research and development, and educational applications. The Z136.1 was updated and re-released just this year, and contains several updates including new definitions of key terms, all of which are searchable in the electronic format.

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Support Your LSO & Choose the Right Eyewear

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By Tom MacMullin

Wear your eyewear when working with your laser!  How many times have you heard that?  Your Laser Safety Officer (LSO) can, and should be, your best friend and advocate.  Your LSO can base selection of LEP on OD and wavelength, with a further understanding of the unique environments and individuals – to make better choices that are safer and user-friendly as well.  (Reference ANSI Z136.1-2014 4.4.4.2.2 Factors in Selecting Full Protection Eyewear.)  Are you and your LSO working together?  Remember, your eyes are in their hands. Continue reading →

ILSC 2015: Preparing You for the Challenges of Today’s Technological Advancements and Their Impact on Laser Safety

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By Geoff Giordano

On the heels of significant revisions to two parent laser safety standards, the Laser Institute of America’s biennial International Laser Safety Conference (ILSC®) from March 23-26 in Albuquerque, NM, will again showcase the best user practices in industrial and medical photonics applications.

Chaired again by Ben Rockwell from Fort Sam Houston, TX, ILSC 2015 promises to devote significant time to focusing on new guidelines in the just-revised ANSI Z136.1-2014 and IEC 60825 standards for laser safety.

Rockwell, general chair of ILSC since 2007, ensures that the conference has “topics from the very basic, fundamental laser safety — for example, the best way to do calculations, the best way to read select standards and make your personal interpretations and apply those standards — to very advanced topics like fume extraction, what the latest maximum permissible exposure changes are, and how those are relevant to the bioeffects that really occur in the human.”

ILSC will follow its traditional format of Medical and Technical Practical Applications Seminars (PAS) and Laser Safety Scientific Sessions (LSSS). The industry leading experts in charge of those educational tracks promise a hard-hitting slate of trailblazing content. Continue reading →