Purchase approval
The purchase or use of a new Class 3B or Class 4 laser must be pre-approved by EH&S. This includes devices on loan from the manufacturer or from another institution, and Class 1 microscopy station with an embedded Class 3B or Class 4 laser.
Requestors must submit their laser requisition quotation to Radiation Safety and we will review the purchase order and issue an approval letter to the requestor/PI to be included in Workday as part of the attachment for purchasing.
Inspection
All Class 3B and Class 4 lasers must be inspected by the Laser Safety Officer before first use.
Registration
All Class 3B and Class 4 lasers or laser system(s) must be registered with EH&S.
- Submit the Laser Registration Form via email to the Laser Safety Officer.
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The Laser Safety Officer will review the registration and schedule a hazard assessment with the lab.
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A complete Laser Registration will be accompanied with laser inventory tag and hazard assessment report (including evaluation of laser protective eyewear) provided by the Laser Safety Officer.
If you are unsure of your registration status, please contact the Laser Safety Officer.
New construction and renovation
All new laser labs and labs under renovation refer to the Environmental Health & Safety section of the UW Facilities Design Standard and contact the Laser Safety Officer for additional requirements.
The laser supervisor must ensure personnel are adequately trained before allowing them to operate, maintain, service or work in the vicinity of lasers. Training includes attending the EH&S Laser Worker Safety course, training on the specific laser equipment and the Laser Safety Procedures used in the lab, provided by the supervisor, Principal Investigator (PI) or experienced user.
Information on specific laser applications is provided on the following focus sheets:
All personnel who work with lasers must be made familiar with the Laser Safety Procedure (or standard operating procedure) developed by the supervisor or PI.
The Laser Safety Procedure should address alignments, maintenance and normal operations procedures; all hazards; types of PPE; and emergency procedures associated with the particular laser system.
Please contact the Laser Safety Officer to initiate proper sales, transfer or disposal of laser equipment.
Each laser must be disabled and verified nonoperational (with a Radiation Safety Clearance Tag attached to the device) before sending it to UW Surplus.
Follow the instructions and guidelines provided in the Laser Transfer and Disposal Guideline.