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Lasers
| Overview | The Berkeley Lab policy on laser safety requires that all lasers and laser systems be operated in accordance with the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) Z136.1, Standard for the Safe Use of Lasers, as well as other applicable regulations. These requirements for laser safety are complex and include engineering controls, administrative controls, medical surveillance, and training. To implement the policy properly while giving the greatest possible latitude to the researcher, all laser operations at the ALS must be reviewed and approved by the Berkeley Lab Laser Safety Officer (LSO). All users intending to use Class 3B or Class 4 lasers at the ALS must contact the EH&S Program Manager (ext. 4499), and /or Berkeley Lab Laser Safety Officer (ext. 2544) before bringing equipment to the facility. If they intend to use on-site lasers, they must contact them at least two weeks before their planned experiment begins. |
| User advisory | ALS User Advisory 6: Laser Safety at the ALS |
| Information for new users | Bringing Lasers to the ALS Laser Inventory Database Safety Precautions and Controls |
| Potential hazards |
|
| Laser classifications and safety requirements | |
| Eye examination | All Class 3B and Class 4 laser users who will be at LBNL for
more than one month must complete a special (baseline) LBNL laser
eye examination. The examination is administered by an optometrist
through the Health Services Department. An appointment for a
laser eye exam can be made by calling Health Services at ext.
6266.
It is strongly recommended that the laser user receive an additional laser eye examination one year after any previous laser use, and on termination of employment. |
| Safety plan | All Class 3B or 4 laser operation must be covered by an approved Activity Hazard Document (AHD) before use. |
| Review of laser setup | The Berkeley Lab Laser Safety Officer or designee must review
every ALS laser setup on the experiment floor before its first
use and whenever the setup is modified in a way that affects
the approved laser safety parameters. The review may occur at
the time of the initial alignment. For more information, contact Berkeley Lab Laser Safety Officer Ken Barat (ext. 2544). |
| Training | Required Training for Laser
Users |
| Laser Safety Committee | Contact Meeting minutes |
| References | Bay Area Laser Safety Officers (BALSO) |