Article Abstracts | April 2008
The complete article appears in the April 2008 issue of Photonics Spectra. If you do not have a copy of this issue,
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Laser Beams Aren’t the Only Hazards in the Laboratory
It’s important to pay close attention to nonlaser hazards in the laboratory.
by Ken Barat and Betsy MacGowan, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
The ANSI Z136.1 standard has a sizable section about non-beam hazards in the photonics laboratory. What it tells us is that tunnel vision can be dangerous. If we’re focused only on hazards associated with laser beams, we leave ourselves open to a host of other accidents. For example, the danger of electrocution exists even if laser eyewear is worn.
Most nonbeam hazards are right in front of us: Electrical and chemical threats are the most common, but others, such as labeled or unlabeled magnets, can creep into the workplace. These authors have seen accidents precipitated by the interaction between screwdrivers and the magnets in a Faraday rotator. Magnets can be large or small, and strong or weak, but they should not be ignored. Magnets also can erase credit cards or can affect metal implants in the body...
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