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TITLE |
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DOCUMENT ID |
6410 Laser
Safety Program |
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It has been determined that working with Classes 3B and 4 lasers carries an unmitigated risk code assignment > 2. At a minimum, all tasks requiring these lasers are discussed with the supervisor prior to commencement of work. A Laser Operational Safety Procedure (LOSP) is written in accordance with Chapter 3210, Work Planning, Control, and Authorization Process for work considered to have a risk code > 2. |
1.0
Purpose
At Jefferson Lab, high-power lasers (Class 3B and Class 4) are used in research and accelerator operations. This Laser Safety Program provides the methods used to mitigate the hazards posed by high-power lasers that operate at wavelengths between 180 nm and 1 mm. Jefferson Science Associates has developed engineering and administrative controls to mitigate the hazard issues associated with the use of lasers.
Low-power lasers, such as Class 2 and Class 3R (previously Class 3a) laser pointers and alignment lasers, purchased through TJNAFs purchasing process, are safe when used as intended.
This program satisfies applicable requirements as outlined in 2410, Appendix T1: Hazard Issues List.
2.0
Scope
This program pertains to lasers above Class 3R. If the laser class you are working with is unclear, contact the Laser Safety Officer for a determination.
TJNAF considers Class 3R and below lasers to be safe; however, never stare into a beam or view directly with optical instruments. Individuals are to follow department procedures when using these types of lasers.
Note: Management
authority may be delegated to a task-qualified TJNAF employee at the discretion
of the responsible manager.
3.1
Qualified
Laser Worker (QLW)
All persons who will become QLWs
must fulfill the following training requirements for Classes 3B and 4 lasers.
|
Course |
Numerical Designation |
|
Laser Orientation |
SAF114O |
|
Eye Exam for Laser Safety |
MED02* |
|
Laser-Specific Training |
task- and area-specific; seek guidance
from LSS and/or LSO |
|
*
refer to 6800, Appendix
T1: Medical Monitoring |
|
·
maintain current training (SAF114O and laser-specific training)
·
maintain required medical monitoring in accordance with 6800, Appendix T1: Medical Monitoring
·
use
the laser and required hazard controls in accordance with the LOSP)
·
perform
laser alignment and maintenance operations only when authorized by the LSS
·
request
an equipment or area hazard evaluation be conducted the LSO if compliance with
these requirements is unclear
·
In
the event of an accidental exposure to a laser beam (direct or indirect),
contact Occupational Medicine immediately.
o
during
off-normal hours, contact the emergency medical facility
·
In
case of a laser control failure (e.g., interlock, enclosure failure, or other
engineered control), immediately halt
laser operations and contact the LSS.
·
In
the event that there is laser incident (such as exposure, fire, etc.) or
near-miss, immediately halt lasing
operations, and contact the LSS.
3.2
Laser System Supervisor (LSS)
The LSS is designated as such by Line Management
in authority to monitor and control the safe use of a specific laser or group
of lasers. This individual is responsible for writing the Laser Operating
Safety Procedure (LOSP) for the specific laser or laser system, and qualifying
laser users. Qualifications include:
·
Laser Safety Training (SAF114O)
·
appointment by division management
·
physics or engineering degree
The LSS is responsible for the following:
·
approve
Laser Operating Safety Procedures (LOSP)
·
maintain an inventory of all lasers
within their responsibility
·
consult
with LSO when considering alteration to the laser system, hazard controls, or
enclosure construction material
·
consult
with LSO when alterations could change the laser classification (i.e.
installation or removal of power attenuating filter)
·
authorize
only Qualified Laser Workers for laser use, alignment and maintenance operations
·
provide specific laser system
training and maintain record of approved users
·
implement
approved LOSP requirements
·
verify
and approve service representative’s qualifications for laser maintenance and
repair operations
·
determine appropriate laser protective
eyewear (LPE) and personal protective equipment (PPE) requirements for laser
system
·
perform Laser Safety Control
Inspections in accordance with 6410, Appendix T5: Laser Safety Control Inspections
·
if
supervising inexperienced workers, develop an equipment and area-specific laser
mentor program, appropriate to the class of laser
·
maintain a list of Qualified Laser
Workers for specific equipment and areas
· in case there is an accidental exposure to the laser beam (direct or indirect), secure the laser and work area & contact the LSO
· secure the work area and notify the LSO of any near-miss event such as loss of beam containment, failure of a hazard control, unauthorized entry into a laser-controlled area LCA
· use account code 043-015: Laser Tools & Equip to purchase lasers and related equipment
3.3
Laser Safety Officer (LSO)
The LSO is appointed by the ES&H Division Director in authority to
monitor and control the safe use of lasers at Jefferson Lab.
The LSO must be a CIH, RSO, CSP, or CLSO and
have completed a minimum 4-day LSO training course that includes:
·
review of laser parameters and fundamentals
·
LSO duties and responsibilities
·
effects of laser beams on the eye and skin
·
significance of specular and diffuse reflections
·
laser and laser system classifications
·
wavelength time corrections and AEL values
·
MPE's with computational examples or Nominal
Hazard Zones (NHZ)
·
laser accident review and case studies
·
training requirements for laser operators
·
laser eyewear selection
·
Laser Safety Program management in industry,
research, and education
As the LSO, they are responsible
for the following:
·
develop,
implement, and update the laser safety program
·
conduct
laser hazard analyses of Class 3B and 4 laser systems and laser-controlled
areas
o
monitor
and enforce hazard control requirements for laser
systems
o
review
and approve any changes made to laser controls that could affect safety (e.g.,
enclosures, enclosure material, interlock system, etc.)
o
periodically
audit LCAs and laser systems
o provide appropriate warning signs
and labels as required
·
review
classifications of laser and laser systems, provide classification to lasers,
and laser systems as necessary
·
Provide guidance in personal protective
equipment (LPE and skin protection)
·
Provide guidance in new laser laboratory design and laser lab
upgrades
·
approve
LOSPs or justify the need for revision and re-submittal
·
perform
an ES&H review on all lasers and equipment purchase requests; and, approve
acceptable procurement requests
·
use
account code 043-015: Laser Tools &
Equip to purchase lasers and related equipment
·
administer the overall laser safety program including
o
maintains site-wide inventory of lasers and confirm
classifications
o
perform Nominal Hazard Zone (NHZ) evaluations
o
ensure proper control measures are in place or approve substitutes
o
approve and order LPE and other PPE; upon receipt, inspect, and if acceptable, distribute
to the requisitioner
o
provide overview of laser safety training as needed
o
review
and, if acceptable, approve subcontractor’s operator training and qualification
requirements prior to commencement of work
·
coordinate
with supervisors and technical representatives for subcontracted qualified
laser workers to perform laser alignment operations
·
monitor
LSS’ laser mentor programs to ensure employees complete the requirements
·
investigate
laser incidents and near-misses
3.4
Supervisors,
Technical Representatives (TR), and Sponsors
·
ensure
qualified laser worker’s training, medical monitoring, and other approvals &
requirements are current before authorizing work
·
coordinate
with LSO for subcontractor qualified laser workers
·
ensure
that warning labels are posted in accordance with requirements
·
obtain
approval from your Division Safety Officer for anyone under the age of 18 to
use Class 2 and Class 3R lasers.
o
Class
3B and 4 lasers are not to be used by individuals under the age of 18.
Technical
Representatives also
·
inform
subcontractors that Class 3R, 3B, and 4 laser
equipment and associated attachments and equipment brought on site, are to be
inspected by Jefferson Lab’s LSO prior to commencement of work
·
notify
the LSO when subcontractors bring laser equipment on site
·
coordinate
inspections of subcontractor laser equipment
·
inform
subcontractor that operators’ training and qualifications must be reviewed by
the LSO prior to commencement of work
3.5
Division Safety Officers (DSOs)
· approve LOSPs or justify the need
for revision or re-submittal
·
review
the qualifications of anyone under the age of 18 and, if adequate, provide
approval for work with Class 2 and Class 3R lasers
·
enforce
proper procurement procedures for lasers in your division
3.6
Department
or Group Managers
approve LOSPs and/or justify the need for an LOSPs revision and re-submittal
4.0
Technical
Appendices
T1: Laser Requisitioning and
Purchasing Requirements
Requisitioning
and purchasing protocols have been established to ensure that only approved lasers and associated
equipment are used on, for, and around laser systems. Described
in T1 are steps to request purchase of these items so appropriate approvals are
obtained prior to payment is made; and, before assembly, inspection and/or use
of these items once received by Jefferson Lab.
T2: Laser Hazard Evaluation
and Controls
Lasers
have the potential to cause injury and/or facility damage if hazards are not
evaluated and controlled. This appendix has been developed to delineate the hazard evaluation process and set
expectations for control measures.
T3: Laser Operational Safety Procedures
Classes 3B
and 4 laser light pose an unmitigated risk code >
2; in accordance with Chapter 3210, Work Planning,
Control, and Authorization Process, a formal work control document
is required for each piece of equipment or system, and the area where it is
located. Appendix
T3 has been
developed to ensure hazard issues are identified through a laser task hazard analysis, are adequately addressed, and
appropriately mitigated before activities involving lasers are approved and/or
commence.
Laser alignment is considered inherently risky and has been identified as having unmitigated risk code > 2. A separate laser operational safety procedure is written when laser alignment is required. Individuals involved with laser alignment shall read, understand, sign, and abide by the LOSP prior to and during work. T4 provides the minimum required activities to be performed during laser alignment.
T5: Laser Safety Control
Inspections
Inspections of Class 3B
and Class 4 laser safety controls are conducted prior to initial start-up and
every six months thereafter, for the duration of operations. Appendix T5 provides the inspection process.
T6: Laser Labeling &
Posting Requirements
Lasers
and their associated apparatus pose hazards; as such, it is required that they
and the area designated for their use, have appropriate labels and signs providing
warning of the potential hazards. The labeling and posting requirements for equipment and areas; and,
how to update, repair, or maintain these labels is found in this appendix.
T7: Student Mentor
Responsibilities and Laser Safety
At
Jefferson Lab, employees who are classified as students, and that will be working
with laser Classes 3B or 4, are required to be in a structured mentor
program. The LSS, who is responsible for
the equipment and/or area, mentors students to ensure they develop safe and
reliable work skills. T7 provides the minimum program
requirements.
Proper waste disposal of contaminated
laser-related material, such as flue and smoke filters, organic dyes, and
solvent solutions, shall be handled in conformance with appropriate federal,
state, and local guidelines. Appendix T8 provides guidance regarding proper disposal
of lasers.
5.0
References
·
American
National Standard for Safe Use of Lasers
ANSI Z136.1-2014
Published
by: Laser Institute of America
·
Safety
with Lasers and Other Optical Sources: A Comprehensive Handbook
David Sydney and Myron Wolbarsht
1980
Plenum Press New York
·
Laser
Laboratory Design Guide LBNL Laser Safety Program V1-2012
Author: Ken Barat
6.0
Revision History
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summary |
date |
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2.0 |
periodic review - revisions made per IA-2023-01-01-01 -
updated and moved table in 2.0 to 3.1 -
clarified responsibilities of QLW, LSO and LSS - updated or added near miss language; updated technical appendices, references, and
rev history format from list to tabular format - updated 5.0
wording and cross-references within -
changed TPOC from PCollins to JWilliams - general formatting updates to include headers
& footers (+color), cross-links, bulleting, etc. by JAllen, ES&H
Manual Editor |
01.02.2024 |
|
1.5 |
added near miss language
and reporting accidental exposure expectations for the user and supervisor
per CATS # NE-2019-08-04-01 |
03.04.2020 |
|
1.4 |
updated TPOC from BManzlak
to PCollins per BRainey |
09.05.2019 |
|
1.3 |
updated Class 3R and 3B
requirements |
09.01.2018 |
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1.2 |
updated reference for
American National Standard for Safe Use of Lasers per CATS#
INSP-2017-003-01-04 |
04.10.2018 |
|
|
periodic review; no changes per
TPOC |
12.22.2015 |
|
1.1 |
added required safety training table in section 2.0 |
05.20.2014 |
|
1.0 |
updated to reflect current laboratory operations |
12.06.2010 |
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ISSUING
AUTHORITY |
TECHNICAL
POINT-OF-CONTACT |
APPROVAL
DATE |
NEXT REVIEW
DATE |
REVIEW
CYCLE |
rev |
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ES&H Division |
01.02.2024 |
01.02.2027 |
3 years |
2.0 |
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