Calculating Laser System Hazards
Instructor-led Virtual Training - Course Overview
This highly requested course is now available to you from the comfort of your home as a live, web-based training option. Over the span of two and a half days, students will learn how the ANSI Z136.1 standard is used to quantify the hazard of a laser system. It will cover computing the Maximum Permissible Exposure (MPE) for various laser types, comparing actual laser exposure to the MPE, computing the Nominal Ocular Hazard Distance (NOHD), determining the Optical Density (OD) required to protect from a laser system, and it will provide a general overview on how lasers are classified.
Emphasis will be given to understanding how various tables are used to compute the MPE. Examples will be detailed and include discussions of the equations that are used to evaluate hazards, how they are used, and where they come from. Space is limited, so reserve your seat today!
In addition to the working knowledge you will gain, you will earn 1.5 BLS CM Points by the Board of Laser Safety upon completion of the course.
Course Pre-requisites
It is recommended that attendees registering for this class have knowledge of the following:
- Familiarity with the basic vocabulary to describe laser beam properties and behavior, such as wavelength, beam size, and beam divergence
- Basic concepts of algebra, such as common operations, variables, constants, linear equations, and expressions.
Required Materials
- ANSI Z136.1-2022 or ANSI Z136.1-2014
- Scientific calculator
About the Instructor
Dr. Clifton D. Clark IIIAssociate Professor at Fort Hays State University Since of 2011Ph.D. in Physics, University of Texas at San Antonio, 2011B.S. in Physics, Fort Hays State University, 2004Teaching and research interests: Quantum Mechanics, Thermodynamics, Laser Bioeffect Modeling, Computational Physics
Upcoming Courses
Learning Objectives:
- Identify what laser parameters are necessary to compute the MPE for various types of exposure.
- Determine the MPE for direct viewing of laser light.
- Determine the MPE for viewing diffuse reflections of laser light.
- Compare actual exposure to the MPE to determine "hazard".
- Determine the Nominal Ocular Hazard Distance for various laser systems and viewing conditions.
- Determine the Optical Density required to protect from various laser systems.
- Determine the classification of a laser system.
Anyone who needs to understand how the ANSI Z136.1 standard is applied to determine the hazard of a laser system. This course is designed for those who need to perform laser hazard calculations or understand hazard calculations performed by someone else. This course does not substitute a complete Laser Safety Officer (LSO) training. For a comprehensive laser safety officer training, see our LSO and LSO with Hazard Analysis training course options here:
All attendees will receive a digital access to course notes and a certificate of attendance upon successful completion of both days. This course is worth 1.5 Board of Laser Safety CM points upon successful completion.