The laser safety program at Los Alamos National Laboratory

Abstract

The Laser Safety Program at the Los Alamos National Laboratory was formalized in April, 1991, with the publication of a document, {open_quotes}Lasers,{close_quotes} modeled on the ANSIZ136.1 standard. This program has received such wide acceptance by the laser community and line managers that the original Laser Safety Program document has become a Laboratory standard on lasers. As a benchmark of the success of this program is that the Laboratory has experienced no disabling eye injuries because of laser operations since July, 1990, to be compared with a disabling laser eye injury that used to average one every eighteen months prior to the time the formal program was established. The Laboratory Laser Safety Program and program elements will be presented and discussed.