As manufacturing practices continue to change, how will companies ensure the safety of their employees?
Manufacturing is undergoing a revolutionary phase. That is no secret, nor surprise.
Image: Illinois Applied Research Institute
The shift from traditional manufacturing practices into additive processes is creating new challenges and opportunities across a multitude of industries. It is becoming increasingly common for companies to blur the lines of what services, products, or purpose they provide. Sectors in which manufacturing was outsourced or contracted, such as the medical industry, are now finding new opportunities in additive manufacturing.
More and more companies are going into research and development, or on-site production, reshaping the way prototypes and finished products are created.
However, laser-manufacturing innovation poses an unprecedented challenge. You cannot put an employee in front of a powder bed system, wish them luck, and be on your way. Additive manufacturing machinery, often suited with a high-powered laser, requires specific education to ensure the safety of the operator and other employees.
In some cases, the standards, certifications, and proper operation methods are just now being released, especially when it comes to additive manufacturing. However, what about when it comes to the basics of safely operating and working near lasers?
Laser Safety for the Manufacturing Workplace
Working alongside Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), ANSI Z136 standards outline proper laser safety protocol for the workplace. Laser education courses, such as those offered by LIA, can prepare employees for a laser-ready workplace by including hazard analysis calculations such as maximum permissible exposure (MPE), optical density (OD), and nominal hazard zone (NHZ).
For those in a supervising role, the Laser Safety Officer Course a non-mathematical look at the administrative duties regarding laser safety. LSO courses are designed for all levels of experience and fit the needs of safety professionals, engineers, laser operators, and other related experts.
LIA Offers a Variety of Laser Training Options.
Knowing how to operate laser-based equipment is not enough. Industrial Laser Safety Courses expand upon the knowledge presented within laser processes and addresses the hazards associated in detail, as well as methods to reduce hazardous environments in the workplace.
OSHA and other federal standards are also discussed in the courses, bringing to light the regulatory expectations of a laser utilization in the workplace.
Your Education Options
As the manufacturing world becomes increasingly globalized, it may not always be possible for employees to travel to receive their laser safety education. In this instance, online or on-site laser training options may be worth exploring, allowing employees to receive their laser safety education from the comfort of their home or office.
Need to train an entire crew? On-site education may be your best bet, as it allows the entire staff to be trained at once, with minimal schedule disruptions.
The Laser Institute of America is proud to help serve the industrial communities by offering flexible and convenient learning options in the classroom, online, or even on-site. Receive your laser safety training and education from the leading laser safety source, Laser Institute of America, publisher of the ANSI series of laser safety standards.
For more information on how LIA can help your laser safety program with any of the courses mentioned above, please visit LIA’s Education Page.
The Laser Institute of America (LIA) is the international society for laser applications and safety. Our mission is to foster lasers, laser applications, and laser safety worldwide.Read about LIA or contact us for more information.
The world’s leading conference on laser safety returns in 2017, drawing professionals from a variety of industry backgrounds ranging from nurses and applications engineers to researchers and even government and military personnel. LIA’s biennial International Laser Safety Conference (ILSC®) will be held on Mar. 20-23, 2017 at the Sheraton® Atlanta Airport Hotel in Atlanta, GA, with the goal of educating laser safety personnel on everything from bioeffects research to the best practices for Laser Safety Officers (LSOs).
Successfully prepared again by General Chair John O’Hagan of Public Health England, ILSC 2017 is comprised of three main parts: Laser Safety Scientific Sessions (LSSS), Medical Practical Applications Seminar (MPAS) and the Technical Practical Applications Seminar (TPAS). When asked about the value that ILSC brings to its attendees, O’Hagan said that the conference “provides a unique opportunity for both experienced laser safety specialists and newcomers to get together over four days. It attracts attendees from around the world, so that experiences can be shared, lessons learned and hopefully workplaces containing lasers are safe.”
A new addition to this year’s ILSC are the two Opening Plenary speakers who are both clinicians. “Jacques Abramowicz will speak about the World Health Organization task to develop Basic Safety Requirements and Fundamental Safety Principles for non-ionizing radiation, including laser radiation. Jeff Luttrull, who is an expert in diseases and surgery of the retina and vitreous, will talk about how lasers can be used to prevent blindness,” remarked O’Hagan.
Every year, the LSSS addresses developments in regulatory, mandatory and voluntary safety standards for laser products and laser use. Chaired by Karl Schulmeister of Seibersdorf Laboratories, he emphasizes that the ILSC Scientific Sessions will continue to cover the most important topics to its attendees — including laser product safety, bioeffects, injury thresholds for the varying tissues of the eye and skin, as well as eyewear, outdoor lasers, high power lasers, materials processing and broadband incoherent radiation.
Dr. Schulmeister also noted that there are many first-time presenters contributing to the LSSS this year, “which shows that the interest and the ‘discipline’ of laser safety is ever growing and developing — away from the historical main interest in user precautions to the safety of products, particularly of consumer products which will be soon ubiquitous.”
The Medical and Technical PAS are designed to complement the Scientific Sessions by exploring everyday scenarios that the LSO and MLSO could encounter. The Medical PAS is a two-day seminar that will take place Mar. 20-21 and be Co-Chaired by Kay Ball (Otterbein University) and Certified Medical Laser Safety Officers (CMLSOs) Vangie Dennis (Emory Healthcare), Patti Owens (AestheticMed Consulting International), and Leslie Pollard (Southwest Innovative Solutions, Inc.), who have constructed this seminar around the theme of Laser Safety: More than Smoke and Mirrors. The MPAS will be particularly useful for MLSOs who work in operating rooms, surgical centers, aesthetic clinics and medical spas.
“Day one will include pertinent information regarding the hazards of surgical smoke and plume. The latest research will be presented,” stated Owens. “Analyzing the toxicity of surgical plume, the impact of chronic exposure to second hand smoke, recommended respiratory protection, new international initiatives and organizations, along with future legislation for management of this health hazard.”
Owens went on to add that “the second stimulating day will focus on management of collimated medical devices with exciting lectures addressing new applications of innovative laser technology, retinal and corneal injuries from exposure to lasers and Intense Pulsed Light, veterinary utilization of medical laser devices, Low Level Light therapy and PDT. Also, the role of the laser safety officer and how to produce positive safety outcomes for both staff and patient will be explored.”
According to Kay Ball, “ILSC 2017 offers learning and networking opportunities to help health care professionals meet the challenges of laser technology. Advancements and exciting new information will be highlighted, while experts will be able to share their knowledge and experiences.”
The two-day Technical PAS, on Mar. 22-23, is expected to provide LSOs with the knowledge they need to address more common laser safety issues and concerns for day-to-day operations in manufacturing, research and product development, as well as laser safety training and program setup. Co-Chairs and Certified Laser Safety Officers (CLSOs) Eddie Ciprazo (UC Berkeley) and Jamie King (Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory), are focusing on just that with the motif of Back to the Basics – Laser Safety 101.
Topics covered in the Technical PAS will range from determining Nominal Hazard Zones (NZH) to laser eye protection selection to what regulations apply. This seminar will start off on Wednesday with So You are the LSO, Now What? and will conclude on Thursday with Resources for the LSO, Don’t Reinvent the Wheel. The newest and most anticipated addition to this year’s TPAS will be an open forum panel discussion with the FDA.
According to King, LSOs of all experience levels will leave this seminar with a variety of valuable information. “From basic optics to cutting edge technologies and everything in between, it’s here.”
Additional highlights at ILSC include the Welcome Reception on Sunday, Mar. 19 at 4pm and the Awards Luncheon, taking place on Monday, Mar. 20 at 12pm. This two hour luncheon includes the presentation of the Wilkening and Rockwell awards. The Wilkening Award is being presented to Wesley J. Marshall of Laser Safety Specialties, recognizing his outstanding contributions to laser bioeffects research, development of human exposure limits and safety standards, and to applied laser safety. This year, the Rockwell Award is being bestowed on none other than ILSC General Chair John O’Hagan, for his outstanding contributions to laser safety education.
Attendees can expect plenty of networking opportunities at ILSC, promises O’Hagan. “Those new to laser safety can hear from world experts and build up their networks. Experienced laser safety professionals get the opportunity to hear about the latest research on bioeffects and practical solutions to laser safety problems. Having attended ILSC, you become part of a community, which can provide guidance and support throughout your laser safety career.”
In addition to attending the seminars, the CLSO/CMLSO Appreciation Reception will be another great opportunity to hear first-hand from certified laser safety professionals. Taking place on Monday, Mar. 20, this reception honors LSOs with 10+ years of certification. Anyone with certification or an interest in LSO certification is welcome to attend.
Another networking opportunity for attendees to take advantage of is the Sponsor Reception on Tuesday evening, Mar. 21, from 5-7:30pm. This is the perfect time to interact with key safety companies including longtime Platinum Sponsors Honeywell Safety Products and Rockwell Laser Industries; Gold Sponsors ASC Z136, Kentek Corporation and Lighting Systems Design, Inc.; Silver Sponsors Buffalo Filter and Engility Corporation; and Bronze Sponsors BEAMSTOP’R Laser Barriers, Inc., Laser Safety Systems, LASERVISION USA, NoIR LaserShields, Ophir-Spiricon LLC and RT Technologies Inc.
“We look forward to welcoming friends to Atlanta for ILSC 2017,” says O’Hagan. “If you haven’t been before, make sure you say hello!”
For more information and to register for ILSC 2017, visit www.lia.org/ILSC.
The Laser Institute of America LasersToday.com Weekly Wrap-Up aggregates industry news, conference updates, and LIA happenings. Here is the latest:
Conference News
Did you miss out on ICALEO® this year? Lasers Today posted a wrap-up of the event this week, taking a closer look at the sessions, presentations, and awards presented throughout. Official 2016 ICALEO® proceedings are now available in the LIA Store. For more about ICALEO® 2016, find the official wrap-up press release here.
LIA Updates
While some may prefer learning in a traditional classroom, many LSOs benefit from online training. For those of you considering online instruction, LIA has provided a handful of tips to help you get the most out of your online training before you even begin! Check out the tips here.
A new LIA White Paper is now available. Entitled Our Growing Industry: How You Can Prepare, the White Paper discusses the proper training and resources LSOs can utilize to ensure employee safety. Readers will also find tips regarding the key elements that make up a strong laser safety plan, tips on selecting eye protection, and more! Download it here.
Attention Students! Are you interested in becoming an LIA Member? If so, Student Membership prices have been reduced to $25! Becoming an LIA Member has numerous perks and advantages such as subscriptions to LIA publications, discounts on courses, conferences, and seminars, and so much more! Become a member here.
Laser News:
Researchers at the Chalmers University of Technology aim to be able to transfer 100gb of data per second in a single fiber, with one core. To do this, the team is focusing on making the laser faster “while consuming less and less energy.” Learn more about the team’s ambitious plans here.
Could a device designed to identify pathogens and toxins be on its way to Mars? A NASA technologist hopes so and is currently testing a prototype Bio-Indicator Lidar Instrument (BILI) for use on a future Mars rover. Using ultraviolet lasers, BILI would be used to scan for biomarker molecules, as a clue to past life on the red planet. Find out more about BILI and Mars rovers here .
Don’t miss a single laser industry update! Sign up today to receive the latest in lasers delivered straight to your inbox. Be sure to follow LIA on Facebook and Twitter for even more laser news.
The Laser Institute of America (LIA) is the international society for laser applications and safety. Our mission is to foster lasers, laser applications, and laser safety worldwide. Find us at www.lia.org
Resource site will provide LIA members and small businesses with information designed to reduce and prevent exposure to laser beam and non-beam hazards in manufacturing
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
ORLANDO, FL – OCTOBER 4, 2016– In celebration of Manufacturing Day 2016, Laser Institute of America (LIA) will provide the worldwide laser community on October 7 with online information, guidance, and access to training resources that will help them protect employees’ health and safety, particularly in reducing and preventing exposure to laser beam and non-beam hazards in industrial workplaces.
Manufacturing Day is an annual national event supported by thousands of manufacturers as they host students, teachers, parents, job seekers and other community members at open houses, plant tours and presentations designed to showcase modern manufacturing technology and careers.
“There is an increasing demand for highly skilled professionals in the manufacturing sector who can design, program and operate technology,” said Jim Naugle, Marketing Director at LIA. “The average age of a manufacturing employee is 56, and between now and 2020 there will be an unprecedented shortage of skilled workers who will need to be replaced.”
Manufacturing Day is co-produced by the Fabricators & Manufacturers Association, International (FMA), the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM), the Manufacturing Institute (MI), and the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s (NIST) Hollings Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP). Partners include Edge Factor and the Science Channel and guest producer, Industrial Strength Marketing.
To access LIA’s helpful information, please visit LIA’s official Manufacturing Day page http://bit.ly/2cEqBNo. For more information or questions, please contact LIA Marketing Department at marketing@lia.org.
About LIA
The Laser Institute of America (LIA) is the professional society for laser applications and laser safety. Our mission is to foster lasers, laser applications and laser safety worldwide. Serving the industrial, medical, research and government communities for over 45 years, LIA offers technical information, training and networking opportunities to laser users from around the globe. Please visit us at http://www.lia.org. More information on Manufacturing Day is available at www.mfgday.com.
According to a recent trade advisory, the U.S. Department of Labor Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) will now post the latest safety and health updates on its new Twitter account@OSHA_DOL.
OSHA’s new Twitter account will provide critical information for employers, workers, and safety professionals about OSHA initiatives, activities, and publications. OSHA encourages safety and health professionals and companies to follow and retweet information relevant to members and stakeholders, as well as seek internal guidance from OSHA via the Twitter account.
As part of LIA’s fundamental commitment to laser safety support and assistance, we will provide the latest laser safety related OSHA Twitter Updates @LaserInstitute, on our Facebook and LinkedIn social channels, and here at LasersToday.com.
