Safety

The information on this page is relevant to you if you are planning to work with lasers anywhere within the EEE Building or in EEE-controlled laboratories elsewhere on the Imperial College campuses.

Before starting any experimental work involving lasers you must contact the Departmental Laser Supervisor (DLS) to discuss your plans. The DLS will work with you to ensure that your planned experiments are safe and comply with the requirements of the College Laser Safety Policy. In most cases you will be asked to complete a Risk Assessment (template available from the DLS).

For work involving either a Class 3B laser or a Class 4 laser, there are certain requirements which must be met before you start work. In particular, before starting any work you must:

• Complete the online Introduction to Laser Safety course and pass the associated online test;
• Complete a Risk Assessment for the experiment(s) you are intending to carry out, and have this approved by the DLS;
• Receive training on the relevant equipment, either from the DLS or from someone with “Advanced User” status who is authorised as a trainer;
• Register yourself as an authorised user of the relevant equipment. This involves completing a Registration of Laser User form (available from the DLS) which must be signed by you, your supervisor, and the DLS.  

If you are planning to introduce a new Class 3B or Class 4 laser into the Department, again you are required to discuss your plans with the DLS. Also, before bringing the laser into use, you must:

• Establish a space where the laser can be operated safely, and register it through the DLS as a “Designated Area”. If the space you identify has not previously been used for laser work, then it is likely that it will need to be modified before registration can take place, for example by the introduction of appropriate signage and access controls;
• Register the new laser with the DLS;
• Establish, in consultation with your supervisor and other experts as appropriate, a protocol for safe operation of the equipment. This must be approved by the DLS and will form an “Approved Scheme of Work” for the equipment;
• Provide a set of operating instructions for the equipment that conforms to the approved scheme of work and is available at all times by the equipment.

While all of the above are mandatory for Class 3B and Class 4 lasers, some of the requirements are also applicable to lasers in Classes 3R, 2 and 1(E). The DLS will advise you as to the requirements that are relevant to your particular case.

For other useful information on laser safety, including educational materials and information on standards, please see the Imperial College Laser Safety page.