Tag Archives: lso

Board of Laser Safety to Announce Illumination Award Recipient at 2019 International Laser Safety Conference

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ORLANDO, Fla. (PRWEB) December 28, 2018

The Board of Laser Safety (BLS) is proud to be participating in LIA’s International Laser Safety Conference International Laser Safety Conference (ILSC) as a cooperating society.

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.

ILSC 2017: The Source for Laser Safety Updates

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

December 16, 2016 – Orlando, FL—The 2017 installment of LIA’s biennial International Laser Safety Conference (ILSC®) will take place March 20-23, in Atlanta, Georgia. Laser safety professionals from around the globe will gather to discuss all aspects of laser safety, from bioeffects research to control hazards to best practices for the Laser Safety Officer (LSO).

The conference will be chaired by John O’Hagan with Public Health England. Following the traditions of previous years, ILSC 2017 will feature presentations in three tracks: Laser Safety Scientific Sessions (LSSS), Medical Practical Applications Seminar (MPAS) and Technical Practical Applications Seminar (TPAS).

Karl Schulmeister, Chair for LSSS, assures that ILSC will continue to cover the subject matter that attendees have found most helpful over the years. The topics include laser product safety and bioeffects. The interactions between lasers and tissues as well as injury thresholds for the varying tissues of the eye and skin will be reviewed. Other sessions will focus on eyewear, outdoor lasers, high power lasers, materials processing and broadband incoherent radiation.

Certified Medical Laser Safety Officers (CMLSOs) Vangie Dennis, Patti Owens, Leslie Pollard, along with Kay Ball will lead the MPAS subtitled “Laser Safety: More than Smoke and Mirrors”.

“ILSC 2017 offers learning and networking opportunities to help healthcare professionals meet the challenges of laser technology,” said Ball. “Advancements and exciting new information will be highlighted, while experts will be able to share their knowledge and experiences.”

Owens includes “that day one would include pertinent information regarding the hazards of surgical smoke and plume.” “The latest research will be presented”, said Owens. “Analyzing the toxicity of surgical plume, the impact of chronic exposure to

“The latest research will be presented”, said 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.”

“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.”

Not to be outdone by their counterparts, co-chairs Certified Laser Safety Officers (CLSOs) Eddie Ciprazo and Jamie King’s theme for the TPAS is “Back to the Basics – Laser Safety 101”.

With something at this event for everyone regardless of their experience level, King notes that both senior and novice Laser Safety Officers (LSOs) will leave with valuable knowledge because of the variety of material that will be covered.

“From basic optics to cutting edge technologies and everything in between,” said King. “It’s here.”

TPAS will provide a full toolbox of information for every LSO in attendance. Wednesday morning kicks off with “So you are the LSO, now what?” and closes Thursday with “Resources for the LSO, don’t reinvent the wheel”.  A first for the conference as well as TPAS, an open forum panel discussion with the FDA is sure to be of interest.

From LSOs and nurses, to safety product manufacturers and laser physicists, attendees will gain invaluable information from sessions and have the opportunity to network with others as a part of the laser safety experts community.

Registration for ILSC 2017 is open now. To learn more and register, please visit https://www.lia.org/conferences/ilsc.

About LIA

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. www.lia.org , 13501 Ingenuity Drive, Ste 128, Orlando, FL 32826, +1.407.380.1553

 

 

 

 

Laser Institute of America Remembers Laser Safety Community Leader Darrell Seeley

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Renowned laser safety teacher and consultant and 2007 Laser Institute of America (LIA) R. James Rockwell Jr. Award winner Darrell Seeley passed away on August 12, 2016 after a hard-fought battle with cancer. He was 66.

A longtime LIA corporate member and past member of the LIA Board of Directors, Seeley was also a laser safety pioneer, becoming one of the first nine people in the United States to become a CLSO

A smiling Darrell Seeley, as remembered by family and friends on his online tribute wall.

(8/12/2002). In addition, he served as a member of the BLS Board of Commissioners and the ANSI Accredited Standards Committee (ASC) Z136 for Safe Use of Lasers as well as two of its subcommittees.

Seeley established his storied laser career as a professor of physics at Parkland College in Champaign IL, and later, served for over two decades at the Milwaukee School of Engineering. In 2002, he started his own laser safety consulting company, and in 2011, joined Rockwell Laser Industries as Vice President. He was also an industrial laser safety trainer in the US and Canada for LIA for more than ten years, a visiting laser scientist with the US Army, Aberdeen Proving Grounds, MD; Cedar Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA; and the Austrian Research Centers, Seibersdorf, Austria.

“Darrell is fondly remembered at LIA, not only as a trailblazer in laser safety, but most importantly, as a friend,” said LIA’s longtime Marketing Director, Jim Naugle. “When I first started at LIA, he volunteered his time as an intern for us, and I remember how dedicated he was to helping us develop accurate content for our laser safety courses. He will also be remembered for his critical service on LIA’s safety committees. Darrell will always have a place in LIA’s history and our hearts.”

LIA’s Education Director Gus Anibarro remembers Darrell’s outstanding example in laser safety excellence. “I worked with Darrell for 15 years. His endless patience with LIA’s course attendees and enthusiastic effort to get our students to understand hazard calculations makes him one of my greatest mentors. It was my honor to have worked with him and learn from him. The laser safety community has lost a great instructor, and we will miss him dearly.”

Tributes from family, friends, and colleagues alike have poured in on Seeley’s online tribute wall, including that of Steve Augustine of the MSOE Physics and Chemistry Department. “Darrell was one of my first mentors when I began teaching at MSOE almost 20 years ago,” he wrote. “He was the consummate teacher, and much of the approach I take toward my job to this day is patterned after what I learned from Darrell.”

In addition to his impactful laser contributions, Seeley is best known by his friends for his woodworking workshop, and for his music and witness ministry at Sedona’s Christ Lutheran Church. He also enjoyed dancing and singing in church with his wife, Trisha.

As stated on Darrell’s tribute page, in lieu of flowers, memorials are requested for either Serenity Inn of Milwaukee or Lutheran World Relief.

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. www.lia.org, 13501 Ingenuity Drive, Ste 128, Orlando, FL 32826, +1.407.380.1553.

DOE Special Operations Report on Laser Safety in Retrospect

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By Jamie J. King

Due to a rash of serious laser accidents from 2001 to 2005, including six eye injuries, the Department of Energy (DOE) released a Special Operations Report (SOR) in February of 2005. A root cause analysis revealed that there were four primary causes for the accidents. They were: inadequate training, inadequate Laser Safety Officer (LSO) conduct, need for better internal oversight, and a failure to wear Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).

Insufficient training and an inadequate level of understanding of the hazards and controls were cited in each of the accidents analyzed. This was noted at the worker level, with those who oversee the operations, and supervisors of laser users. As many of the accidents involved students, the inadequacy or lack of training and a safety culture at the university level was mentioned. Continue reading →

Make Vital Laser Hazard Analysis Calculations with the Evaluator

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Orlando, FL (Oct. 1, 2014) – Are you an overworked laser safety officer (LSO) in a high-pressure commercial or research facility? Need to make vital hazard analysis calculations on the fly? Look no further than the Evaluator — the Laser Institute of America’s industry-first web-based system that helps you quickly and easily ensure a laser-safe environment.

Now updated to reflect the changes in the 2014 version of the ANSI Z136.1 parent standard for laser safety, the Evaluator provides LSOs of all skill levels a robust yet easy-to-use online system for calculating potential laser hazards. Still using the 2007 version of ANSI Z136.1? No problem: The ability to perform calculations under those criteria has been retained in the new version as well.

This unique tool features three subscription levels — basic, intermediate and advanced — to allow you to pay only for the features you need.

• Basic: Designed for users with minimal experience, the Basic package provides the essential and fundamental laser hazard calculations in an easy and simple format.

• Intermediate: Our most popular subscription level, the Intermediate package provides the best solution for industrial applications and organizations where laser safety calculations are needed for eye and skin hazards.

• Advanced: Perfect for the professional LSO working in research facilities, government, military and advanced laboratories, the Advanced subscription level includes all the most comprehensive features available for performing sophisticated laser calculations.

Continue reading →