Laser Safety Program How To
HOW TO BUILD YOUR IN-HOUSE LASER SAFETY PROGRAM
The first step in creating a safe work environment for operating lasers is to designate the Laser Safety Officer (LSO). The LSO should be someone who has the education and a thorough knowledge of the laser’s function and usage. He or she needs to ensure others working with or near the laser understand the risks and potential harm in operating lasers, especially Class 3b and Class 4 devices. OSHA requires an LSO in some settings, but many states also require an LSO onsite for others. Many states now also require an LSO to be designated to register a Class 3b or Class 4 laser. The LSO can be trained by taking the certified LSO training through our website.
What is the Deputy LSO?
We recommend a secondary or back-up LSO take our certification course to ensure no loss of coverage if the primary LSO is not in the workplace. The reason is simple. Other workers are more likely to have an accident or mis-use the laser if they don’t have someone to consult with. Best practice says that the laser set-up and maintenance be conducted by or under the supervision of an LSO. A safe work environment is the of the utmost importance, and no one wants to have to report an incident to OSHA or write up a medical report due to carelessness.
What is an in-house laser safety program?
If you have more than 5 employees who need training in the basics of laser safety, an in-house program would work for you. And we have created the best, cost effective and time saving solution with our Laser Safety Certification Kits. Like our LSO courses, we offer a kit for use by industrial, healthcare, veterinary and cosmetic businesses.
Our safety training kits mean you don’t have to send your team off to classroom training that can costs thousands. You will be able to demonstrate to OSHA that you take workplace safety seriously since you will have a written record of employees who have been trained. You will have a binder you can easily reference that has copies of all the training supplies included on the USB drive including:
- An LSO refresher document for easy reference,
- A standard operating procedure template to be customized according to your specific laser,
- Laser Operator / Technician training slides in PowerPoint format,
- Student handouts so notes can be taken during the course presentation,
- Copies of the exam and the answer key,
- An employee training ledger,
- Copies of the certificate to be given to each student upon completion of the exam,
- A courtesy copy of the OSHA technical manual section covering laser hazards.
What are the LSO’s responsibilities?
The LSO has may responsibilities and needs to be aware of those responsibilities. Below is a partial list of requirements for a laser safety officer training program:
- Maintenance or service on Class 3b and Class 4 laser is only to be done by trained technicians,
- Investigate, document and report all incidents,
- Ensure authorized personnel are trained in laser safety,
- Evaluation of hazards in the laser environment
These topics and much more are covered in all 3 of our laser safety officer certification programs.
Is there an ALL-IN-ONE solution?
Here’s the good news. If you chose our kit in “bundled” form, one on-line Laser Safety Officer certification course is included. You get your LSO and in-house training kit all in one! When you sign up with us, you are taken to a page that includes not just our online courses but our kit in stand alone form as well as in bundled form.
If you want to read more about our programs, you can click on each link on the product page to get more detailed information.
How long does a certification last?
More good news! OSHA requires that you renew certifications for the LSO and employees at a minimum of every 5 years. We suggest every 3 years. In the event OSHA or ANSI make any updates, our online curriculums will also be updated. When you are ready for renewals, just give us a call to see if anything has changed.
Still have questions about how our courses and products work? Call us at (602) 526-5241 or drop a note to info@lasersafetycertification.com.
