Laser Safety Manual

32 Laser Safety Manual • Do not wear rings, watches, or other metallic apparel when working with electrical equipment. • When working with high voltage, regard all floors as conductive and grounded. • Do not handle electrical equipment when hands or feet are wet or when standing on a wet floor. • Be familiar with electrocution rescue procedures and emergency first aid. • Check that each capacitor is discharged and grounded prior to working in the area. • Use shock prevention shields, power-supply enclosures, and shielded leads in all experimental or temporary high-voltage circuits. Biological Agents Biological agents include Laser Generated Air Contaminates (LGAC) and infectious materials. LGAC may be generated when high power laser beams interact with tissue. Infectious materials, such as bacterial and bacterial organisms, may survive beam irradiation and become airborne. Contact the Biosafety Officer for a biological agent consultation if you have questions regarding your system. Chemical Hazards Many dyes used as lasingmedia are toxic, carcinogenic, corrosive, or pose a fire hazard. All chemicals used in the laser system must be accompanied by a safety data sheet (SDS). The SDS will supply appropriate information pertaining to toxicity, personal protective equipment (PPE), and storage of chemicals. Various gases may be exhausted by lasers or produced by targets. Proper ventilation is required to reduce exposure levels to the gas products below acceptable limits. For further information, contact your safety office. Collateral Radiation Radiation other than that associated with the primary laser beam is called collateral radiation. Examples are x-rays, UV, plasma, radio frequency emissions, and ionizing radiation. x-rays could be produced from two main sources in the laser laboratories: electric-discharge lasers and high-voltage vacuum tubes of laser power supplies, such as rectifiers, thyratrons, and crowbars. Any power supply that requires more than 15 kilovolts (kV) may produce sufficient x-rays to cause a health hazard. Interaction