This is a practical guide to the safe use of lasers in science, education, industry, telecommunications, entertainment and medicine. Henderson explains the nature of laser hazards and how to implement safety controls to international standards.

Lasers perform many unique functions in a plethora of applications, but there are many inherent risks with this continually burgeoning technology. Laser Safety: Tools and Training presents simple, effective ways for users in a variety of facilities to evaluate the hazards of any laser procedure and ensure they are following documented laser safety standards. Designed for use as either a stand-alone volume or a supplement to Laser Safety Management, this text includes fundamental laser and laser safety information and critical laser use information rarely found in a single source. The first laser guide written by a working Laser Safety Officer (LSO), its depth and breadth make it appropriate for both the seasoned professional and the novice. It presents case studies of real accidents, preventive measures that could have been taken to avoid such accidents, and templates for documenting potential laser risks and attendant safety measures. Reflecting the exponential use of laser technology over the last several years, this text considers the growing use of petawatt laser installations and nanotechnology applications and addresses current laser projects such as the National Ignition Facility (NIF) and Linac Coherent Light Source (LCLS). Several chapters explore the components of laser work and laser safety that deal with optics, the optical table, the power meter, and user training. Ken Barat is the LSO for the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, the first Department of Energy national lab. He also served as the LSO for the National Ignition Facility Directorate at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and is a member of the Laser Safety Forum in the United Kingdom. Internationally recognized, he has collected the wisdom of the top minds in the laser field to present a practical, straightforward handbook that helps those who work with lasers to harness their potential without endangering themselves or the people around them.

Nearly a decade aga a general review article on the evaluation of optical radia tion hazards was published in Applied Optics (Sliney and Freasier, 1973). This arti cle received many favorable comments but also prompted many inquiries regarding specific optical hazard problems. From this it became evident that a monograph rather than a supplemental and expanded article was needed to fill this literature gap relating to laser and optical radiation hazards. The present work is designed to fill that gap, and is structured to permit either classroom or self-study use. Much of the material in this book was developed in eonnection with short courses on laser safety and radiometry in which we have participated, as weIl as from our previous articles. In particular, the sequenee of chapters is based upon the experiences which we have had in lecturing in courses with different schedules. One of the great difficulties in developing a text of this nature is that a broad, multidisciplinary background must be included in order that the reader can comprehend all of the subjeet matter readily. For this reason, the material presented on anatomy and physiology is orien ted toward the engineer or physical scientist, while the review material on basic optical physics is intended more for the physician or life scientist.

Contains the latest revision of ANSI standards for safe use of lasers. A workbench guide that explains how a laser works, what a laser beam can do to biological tissue and eyewear lenses, and how to work safely with lasers. Annotation copyright Book News, Inc. Portland, Or.