The Triangle Laser Safety Officer [TALSO] group had a great meeting Thursday, September 19 at GlaxoSmithKline in RTP. Thanks again to Jyl Burgener and GlaxoSmithKline for hosting this event. For the second meeting in a row, we had an out of state guest; this time TALSO welcomed Cornell University Industrial Hygienist Cindy Martin.

Meeting Summary:

I. Welcome & Introduce new folks

- several new members were recognized, including Cindy Martin, Tim Hitchcock, Amy Sawyer, and Anthony Thai.

II. Review notes from May 23 Meeting

- No comments/corrections from last meeting

III. LIA's new Certified Laser Safety Officer program & exam [scheduled for October 13, 2002]

www.certified-lso.org

- Head count: 3 TALSO members expressed their intent to sit for this exam

IV. Development of a [Safe] Laser Alignment Training Program

Ken Kretchman provided excerpts on alignment from Lawrence Livermore & Brookhaven NL and NCSU safety manuals. Ken led a discussion on how we may best proceed. Some ideas:

- There are several types of alignment (e.g. for internal vs, external, etc.) and additional wavelength-specific considerations; we need to be clear on application of any proposed alignment guidance.

- Tim Hitchcock noted the alignment guidance in section C.3 of Appendix C of ANSI Z136.1-2000 and brought an example alignment SOP; he agreed that additional practical & specific training information would be helpful.

ACTIONS:

- Ken Kretchman agreed to purchase the rumored Rockwell pamphlet on safe laser alignment techniques; maybe we can take up a collection for him at the next meeting!

- Gary Beasley agreed to review his library at CCCC for any video tapes or other training material on alignment

- All asked to seek out any manufacturer's alignment procedures that may be lying around your facility

- Ben Edwards contact BALSO representatives for alignment advice & information, etc.

AGREED: we'll leave this as a standing agenda item to track the progress of this project

V. Any other business

- Excellent Laser Web Site: Sam's Laser FAQs [great information on safety, operation, repair, construction, etc. for a wide variety of laser types] http://www.repairfaq.org/sam/lasersam.htm; Gary noted that his students used it frequently.

Also Noted as good: the CORD web site

ACTION Gary Beasley to provide URL for CORD web site - and here they are! (Thanks Gary!)

http://utopia.cord.org/step_online/introduction/contents.htm

http://www.dewtronics.com/tutorials/lasers/leot/index.html

Also noted: AIHA's Lab Safety site: www.aiha.org (not sure what's here; maybe something in "member's only" section?)

- Suggestion: TALSO maintain a compendium of helpful laser safety websites; ongoing project

- Suggestion: TALSO get a website

ACTION: Ben Edwards ask NCHPS board of TALSO can sit on the www.nchps.org web site.

ACTION: Ben Edwards bring copies of laser safety papers from August 2002 Operational Radiation Safety to next meeting

VI. Schedule next meeting

2:30 PM on Thursday, 14-Nov-02 at GSK!

Topics: Laser alignment project & Common excuses for not complying

- Agenda will be e-mailed closer to the meeting date

Here's the [growing] brainstormed list of specific discussion topics for upcoming meetings:

- Medical Surveillance (why, whom & how much?)

- Entry way controls for class 4 systems

- Tracking high power diode lasers

- Appropriate fire-proof materials

- Handling multiple wavelength lasers (e.g. TI:Sapphire)

- Release of class 3b & 4 lasers into surplus & unrestricted use

- Generate list of low-cost solutions to laser safety challenges & "low hanging fruit" that get the most impact for the least resource expended in laser safety programs

- Generate a list of common excuses for not complying with laser safety guidance, and ways to address these excuses

- Discussion of technical & calculational issues; work problems, etc.

- Training laser operators in safe beam alignment techniques

- Compilation of Laser Accidents & lessons learned