[Physstaff] To the attention of all LASER USERS: lessons learned from LASER EYE STRIKE

[Thorsten Ackemann]

Dear laser users

I am writing you to make you aware that there was a laser eye strike in 
the department. Scattered laser light entered the eye of a user in spite 
of him/her wearing laser goggles as personal protective equipment (PPE). 
Luckily, there was no permanent damage done, as the power entering the 
iris was just within the safe limits, but nevertheless it was a 
distressing experience.

There are important lessons to be learned from this incidence.

1. Light could only enter the eye as the protective goggles were not 
correctly fitted. They slipped down the nose a little, opening a gap. It 
is important that the goggles are correctly fitted and maintained and 
the adjustment options (straps, length of temple) understood and used. 
Ask your supervisors for guidance, if unsure, and check the fitting of 
your goggles. Further guidance is included in the attached document.

2. Before the incidence, the user altered the shielding of his/her 
experiment with good intentions, to make it safer under normal operating 
conditions, but did not realize that it became more unsafe under 
alignment conditions.  Users need to consider the consequences of 
alterations of safety relevant features before any changes are done and 
consult with supervisors/PI before any changes on high risk items. All 
PIs will review the Methods of Work and clarify the corresponding 
procedures and identify the corresponding high risk items, if appropriate.

3. The incidence showed the importance of the engineering controls as 
well as proper usage of PPE in ensuring safe working conditions. 
Priority should be given to proper engineering controls (mainly 
shielding), preferentially to a level so that no PPE is necessary, but 
in a volatile university research environment and the development of 
lasers and setups PPE is often also indispensible. If an upgrade of the 
experiment demands an alteration of shielding, these changes need to be 
implemented in parallel to the upgrade of the experiment, not as an 
afterthought.

4. Last but not least: Be aware of the contingency plans in case of an 
eye strike and follow it through. Every lab should have a grapcard 
giving the procedure. If you don’t know where it is, ask your supervisor.

Work safe!

Thorsten, RPO-lasers

-- 
*******************************************
Thorsten Ackemann  Dr. rer. nat.   FInstP  FOSA
Professor of Nonlinear Photonics
Department of Physics
University of Strathclyde
John Anderson Building
107 Rottenrow East
Glasgow G4 0NG
Scotland, UK

Office: John Anderson Building, JA 8.21
Tel.: +44-(0)141-548 3079
Email: thorsten.ackemann at strath.ac.uk
webpage: http://photonics.phys.strath.ac.uk/thorsten-ackemann/

The Department is a partner in SUPA, the Scottish Universities Physics 
Alliance.

Times Higher Education UK Entrepreneurial University of the Year 2013/14
Times Higher Education UK University of the Year 2012/13

The University of Strathclyde is a charitable body, registered in 
Scotland, with registration number SC015263.
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