Building a Laser Safety Culture

doi:10.1117/3.903373.ch12

Book: Laser Safety in the Lab

Author(s): Ken Barat

Published: 2012

https://doi.org/10.1117/3.903373.ch12

Author Affiliations +

Abstract

No laser user wants to sustain a laser eye injury. Unfortunately, many laser users, most commonly experienced researchers and inexperienced graduate students, are the injured persons. More unforgivable is the general acceptance of this scenario as part of the research and development experience. How do senior researchers, safety personnel, and management stop this trend? The answer lies in a cultural change that involves institutional training, user mentoring, hazard awareness by users, and administrative controls. None of these would inhibit research activities. As a matter of fact, proper implementation of these controls would increase research productivity. This section will review and explain the steps needed to steer an institution, research division, or group or individual lab toward a culture that should nearly eliminate laser accidents.