Test of a Laser Countermeasure in the Netherlands
Authors:
Arie KLERK, Ministry of Defense; Den Helder Netherlands
Presented at ILSC 2009

In April 2007 the Netherlands Royal Air Force (RNLAF) was host for an extended test of electronic countermeasures on an Apache helicopter. This is an example of Electronic Warfare and the protection against the effects of that. The Northrup Grumman Direct Infrared Counter Measure (DIRCM) uses an infrared laser to confuse the electronics of an approaching heat-seeking missile in order to lead it out of its route.
Although the laser does not have the power to damage the missile, it would certainly damage the eyes and skin of someone too close to it. That was t...

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Reviewing University Laser Safety
Authors:
Stewart Robertson, Health Protection Agency; Glasgow Scotland
Presented at ILSC 2009

Universities offer a Laser Protection Adviser (LPA) a challenging environment to influence the provision of effective laser safety management. The following are among the reasons for this: lasers are used in rapidly changing experiments and research projects; academic staff and students pursue erudite objectives sometimes without due regard to laser safety and to their detriment; and funding may be limited with a reluctance to spend money on purely safety-related requirements.

This paper describes experience from auditing laser safety within Scottish Universities...

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Lasers and Aviation Safety
Authors:
Patrick Murphy, International Laser Display Assn.; Orlando FL USA
Presented at ILSC 2009

When laser beams intersect an aircraft's path, a hazard can result. There are four primary types of concern: distraction, glare, temporary flashblindness (for visible lasers only), and eye hazards. The threat level depends on factors including: type and power of the laser, beam path/area in the sky, time of day, aircraft motion and distance, flight phase, pilot workload and pilot awareness of laser hazards. There are two primary ways to minimize or eliminate these hazards: careful and responsible laser use to avoid aircraft, and pilot knowledge of procedures to follow in ...

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Atmospheric Scintillation Considerations for Outdoor Laser Safety Evaluation -- A Statistical Approach for Estimating the Effect of Atmospheric Scintillation on Optical Gain
Authors:
Paul Sorensen, Northrop Grumman; Rolling Meadows IL USA
Presented at ILSC 2009

Mathematical models are available to characterize the behavior of atmospheric scintillation, although with sparse treatment in the application to laser safety. Existing laser safety standards either lack specific applications, or offer only a partial, although worst-case approach. Worst-case assumptions are common, and even encouraged, in safety evaluations. However, the goal of any safety evaluation should consider a balance between ope...

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Unique Laser Safety Applications in Forensic Science
Authors:
Candace Soles, Coherent, Inc.; Santa Clara CA USA
Presented at ILSC 2009

Lasers are known as a superior light-source tool the forensics community uses to identify trace evidence. Lasers are slowly replacing commonly-used filtered lamps, primarily because of a new generation of portable, compact, low-power consumption lasers such as Coherent’s TracER™. TracER, and lasers like TracER, have the ability to detect latent fingerprints, bone fragments, skin, and traces of body fluids. The mechanism by which the laser can reveal trace evidence is known as fluorescence, either inherent in the material or induced by treatment of the mat...

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Laser Safety Issues for the 2009 Space Elevator Power Beaming/Climber Competition
Authors:
Darrell Seeley, Laser Safety Consulting, LLC; Wales WI USA
Dave Marcotte, TRUMPF; Plymouth MI USA
Presented at ILSC 2009

The concept of a space elevator was brought to public attention in part by the well known author, Arthur C. Clarke. It may still sound like science fiction, but with the advance of technology the concept becomes ever more nearly realizable. The space elevator will likely consist of a geosynchronous satellite (22,500 miles or 36,000 km altitude) tethered to Earth’s surface. An elevator, or climber, will move up and down along this tether, ferrying materials and/or perso...

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Laser Safety on a Large Scale - The National Ignition Facility
Authors:
Jamie King, National Ignition Facility; Livermore CA USA
Presented at ILSC 2009

With over 500 high-powered lasers being used in activities ranging
from production optical damage testing/repair to nuclear weapon
simulation, to laser fusion research, the National Ignition Facility
(NIF) and Photon Science Directorate is one of the largest per
capita users of lasers in the world. Throughout the various
research and NIF support labs, laser safety presents many typical
and not so typical challenges. Within the confines of the football
stadium sized, 192-beam, 1.8 Mega Joule NIF, the challenges are
far more complex, cross...

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NIF Laser Safety Assessment
Authors:
Johnny Jones, Laser-Professionals Inc.; Los Alamos NM USA
Presented at ILSC 2009

During September 2008 an independent and comprehensive Readiness Assessment of the National Ignition Facility was conducted to determine if the facility is in a state of readiness to safely conduct operations. This assessment was performed according to DOE Operational Readiness Review requirements and included a detailed evaluation of the Laser Safety Program based on ten criteria. This paper includes a description of the review process, a summary of the results, and noteworthy practices. The overall finding was that the NIF Laser Safety Program is in complete compliance with...

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Laser Safety Management in a Research Institute
Authors:
Shimon Gabay, DGS Laser in Medicine Technologies; Modi'in Israel
Presented at ILSC 2009

The laser safety management in a research institute is a complicated business, made of many topics that are supported by mutual interfaces. This paper presents our experience in Weizmann Institute of Science at Rehovot, Israel. The activity in such research institute is characterized by the following facts that require appropriate handling to keep the laser safety on a high standard level:
1.The laser labs entrance is accessible to the public, where many of them are not aware of laser hazards. - High risk for visitors.
2.The experimental set...

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Non-beam Hazards of the Ophthalmic Excimer Laser
Authors:
Angela Monks, Health Protection Agency; Leeds Great Britain
Presented at ILSC 2009

The excimer laser, with a gas mixture of ArF, is widely used in refractive eye surgery. Over the past decade the excimer laser has become the preferred choice for treatment; the ultraviolet laser beam at 193 nm is able to remove microscopic amounts of tissue from the cornea via a photochemical interaction, resulting in a huge improvement in results from refractive eye surgery compared with previous techniques. The use of the excimer laser for ophthalmic surgery introduces a number of hazards, many being non-beam hazards.

The non-beam hazards are discuss...

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Revised Non-beam Hazard Section in ANSI Z136.1
Authors:
Gene Moss, Corning Inc.; Corning NY USA
Ben Edwards, Duke University; Durham NC USA
Tom Tierney, Lanl; Los Alamos NM USA
Presented at ILSC 2009

The ANSI Z136 Non-Beam Hazards (NBH) Technical Subcommittee has proposed revision of the NBH section in the Z136.1 Standard for the Safe Use of Laser. Factors motivating these changes include:
a) The number of NBH have tripled in the last decade,
b) NBH tend to incur greater regulatory compliance burdens and consequences than beam hazards,
c) NBH remain the leading cause of laser related incidents,
d) N BH can extend beyond the NHZ,
e) Unlike beam hazards, NBH h...

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Picosecond and Femtosecond Laser Machining May Cause Health Risks Related to Nanoparticle Emission
Authors:
Thomas Puester, Presenter Not Author - Laser Zentrum Hannover e.V.; - Germany
Juergen Walter, Laser Zentrum Hannover e.V.; Hannover Germany
Stephan Barcikowski, Laser Zentrum Hannover E.V.; Hannover Germany
Anne Hahn, Laser Zentrum Hannover E.V.; Hannover Germany
Juergen Koch, Laser Zentrum Hannover E.V.; Hannover Germany
Hatim Haloui, Lumera Laser GmbH; Kaiserslautern Germany
Thomas Herrmann, Lumera Laser Gmbh; Kaiserslautern Germany
Antonietta Gatti, Universit� Di Modena E Reggio Emilia; Modena Italy
Pre...

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Lasers in Medicine - Rules, Regulations, and Practices in Managing Laser Plume
Authors:
Dan Palmerton, Buffalo Filter; Buffalo NY USA
Joseph Lynch, Buffalo Filter; - NY USA
Presented at ILSC 2009

The use of lasers for medical and dental applications has grown significantly over the past two decades. Unfortunately, when any type of thermal or ablative instrument, such as laser energy, is applied to human tissue an unwanted by-product is produced which is commonly known as surgical smoke. Through many educational efforts and a number of published standards, it is well documented that surgical laser plume must be evacuated and filtered to protect healthcare workers and their patients ...

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Calculating the Laser Safety Hazard for Scanning Systems
Authors:
Clinton T. Meneely, Goodrich Sensor Systems; Burnsville MN USA
Presented at ILSC 2009

Recently, many optical systems are employing lasers (indoor and outdoor) to sense objects at considerable ranges over large fields of regard. These can involve powerful wide field-of-view flash LIDAR systems or less powerful, very narrow divergence lasers scanned over the field of regard. Despite the fact that Z136.1 does not directly address scanning laser systems directly (except in a few appendices), there are ways to apply the random periodic exposure standards to various types of scanned systems to determine eye safety and hazard ranges. Th...

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Comparative Evaluation of Ocular Hazards from Projectors-Laser and Lamp Projectors
Authors:
Karl Bylund, Microvision; Bothell WA USA
David H. Sliney, Consulting Physicist; Fallston MD USA
Michael Beard, Microvision Corporation; Redmond WA USA
Presented at ILSC 2009

Projectors of varying technologies have been in use for several decades in home and office environments. These include 35mm slide projectors, overhead projectors, and more recently digital projectors. The trend in digital projectors has been increasing luminance from smaller products. This has been made possible by the advent of new or improved light sources and projection technologies. Results of a com...

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Scanning Audiences at Laser Shows: Theory and Practice
Authors:
Patrick Murphy, International Laser Display Assn.; Orlando FL USA
Greg Makhov, Lighting Systems Design Inc.; Orlando FL USA
Presented at ILSC 2009

For more than three decades, the technique of "audience scanning" has been routinely used at laser light shows outside of the United States. Visible beams from CW lasers are projected towards viewers, to put them inside cones, fans and other moving light shapes set to music. Most commonly, accessible irradiance levels have not been measured by operators; instead they have been set by eye to look "OK". Since MPE-level irradiance at the audience is somewhat less bright than de...

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Assessment of LED's Radiation Safety
Authors:
Mou Tongsheng, Optical Engineering Department of Zhejiang University; Hangzhou Peoples Republic of China
Yu Jiandong, Zhejiang University Sensing Instruments; Hangzhou Peoples Republic of China
Presented at ILSC 2009

Recent years, LED technology as well as its applications grow very fast, which deserve more attention to the hazard of LED radiation. The spectral integrated radiances are important parameters in hazard analysis of LED radiation. However, traditional spectral luminance meters are not able to be used to determine spectral integrated radiances in accordance with IEC 62471. Therefore, a novel photobiological safety measurement...

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Alignment Eyewear, the LSO's Role
Authors:
Ken Barat, Lawrence Berkeley National Lab; Berkeley CA USA
Presented at ILSC 2009

There is no direct mention of alignment eyewear in the present Z136.1 Safe Use of Laser-2007 document. The use of alignment eyewear is known by the majority of LSOs for the visualization of visible beams. Especially when one considers the alternative of removing ones eyewear to see the beam. Remote viewing is the superior and safer alternative, but is still not as common as lifting ones eyewear to see the beam. The point of this presentation is by allowing the use of alignment eyewer the LSO is allowing the user to use personnel protective equipment (PPE) that does not lo...

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A Collection of Distinct and Noteworthy Control Measures
Authors:
Candace Soles, Coherent, Inc.; Santa Clara CA USA
Cathi Scogin, Sperian Protection; Pleasanton CA USA
Presented at ILSC 2009

When it comes to laser safety, it is often advantageous to think outside the box for maximum impact to laser users and non-laser users. The standard regulations, such as ANSI, OSHA, and IEC, give fine examples of control measures, but they might not always be the best fit for the situation. As lasers gain in popularity because of their increasing sophistication and/or because of their affordability, Laser Safety Officers, out of necessity, are prompted to be creative when implementing control...

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Laser on Time As Safety or Only a Part of Safety?
Authors:
Erwin Heberer, -; Heusenstamm Germany
Presented at ILSC 2009

More and more speak of the Risk analyses for the laser plant from the laser on Time as the optimal solution for the judgment of the endurance of Laser guard with high power laser.

The Laser on Time alone is not sufficient s only then one in addition to security component although the interior is controlled so that possible damages of the wall or other components during the duration of one 8 hour shift (DIN/EN of 60825-4 annex B) are captured.

It can result in a production shift through the reflection inessential damages which ones do not fail immediately to the total one...

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Matilda: A Joint UK/US Military Laser Range Clearance Utility Based on Probabilistic Hazard Assessment Techniques
Authors:
Brian Flemming, Selex Galileo; Edinburgh Great Britain
Presented at ILSC 2009

The MATILDA utility is a joint venture between the United States Air Force (USAF) and the United Kingdom Ministry of Defence (UK MOD). Its purpose is to provide a means of assessing laser irradiation risks to unprotected persons from military laser training operations in uncontrolled outdoor environments, and is based on the UK probabilistic laser hazard assessment technique. It is intended that this new common facility will become a standard tool for undertaking laser hazard assessments for mil...

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In the Safety Limbo: Simultaneous Illumination and Optical Wireless Communications with Light-emitting Diodes
Authors:
Werner Horak, Siemens AG; Munich Germany
Joachim Walewski, Siemens AG; Munich Germany
Presented at ILSC 2009

The high-speed modulation capabilities of white light-emitting LEDs offer a unique combination of illumination and simultaneous free-room data transmission and therewith a series of new and promising applications. However, the optical radiation safety requirements for this dual-use of LEDs are currently separately provided with two different standards: free-space optical communication with LEDs is (still) covered by the application-related part of the laser-...

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Total on Time Pulse Method for Evaluating the Hazards from Pulsed Lasers
Authors:
Wesley Marshall, US Army CHPPM; Gunpowder MD USA
Presented at ILSC 2009

Although the total on time pulse (TOTP) method has been successfully used to compute the maximum permissible exposure for repeated exposure to laser energy, some modification to the method must be made when the pulse duration is short and the pulse energies vary from pulse to pulse. Alternative methods to TOTP are presented for pulses of varying energy as well as a modification to the TOTP method that will provide a more accurate assessment of the hazards.

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Laser Hazard Assessment with an Eye Simulator
Authors:
Menachem Margaliot, Soreq NRC; - Israel
Arie Amitzi, Soreq NRC ; Yavne Israel
Presented at ILSC 2009

Optical radiation entering the eye is focused on the retina and produces a focal spot of relatively high energy/power density. The size of this focal spot is the critical factor in determining the hazard classification of an optical source.
For laser beams this focal spot is extremely small and hence - the high optical hazard of laser radiation.
Analyzing the hazard classification of laser product is commonly conducted by computational methods, assuming the laser source specifications as provided by the device manufacturer, a...

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Laser Classification of an Extended Source Laser System
Authors:
Penelope Galoff, U. S. Army Center for Health Promotion and Preventive Medicine; Aberdeen Proving Ground MD USA
Presented at ILSC 2009

As more complex lasers are developed, the classification of these lasers is becoming increasingly more complex. A conservative laser classification can result from an incomplete hazard analysis. Extended source lasers require additional considerations for classification. The classification of a near-infrared (905 nm) laser rangefinder which is considered a point source for Condition 2 and an extended source for Condition 1 is presented. The measurements needed and the determination of maximum p...

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