Laser Safety

Ensuring the safe use of lasers, laser systems, and non-ionizing radiation sources.

Resources and Guides

Job Safety Analysis (JSA)

A JSA describes job tasks in step-by-step fashion, identifies associated hazards at each step, and outlines proper hazard controls that minimize the risk of injury or illness to the individual(s) performing that task.

JSAs Listed by Topic: Body Mechanics ...

New labs

How do I set up a new lab?

Note: Your department's Department Safety Coordinator (DSC) may have their own practices and guidelines. It is strongly suggested that you contact them for guidance. Not sure who your DSC is? Use the "Who's your DSC?" tool to find out!

Getting Started Email labsafety@berkeley.edu to have your new lab set up in our database. If you are a new Principal Investigator,...

Lab Decommissioning

Lab Equipment Decontamination Protocol Departments must identify equipment desired for release by creating a list for Equipment Management (contact: betshelp@berkeley.edu). Department equipment listings must provide a BETS #, Serial #, building and room number of the equipment intended for release. Departments must also include: equipment history, associated chemical use, biological use or radiation use authorizations - where applicable. Verify and update equipment building, room and description to...

Laser Safety Manual (PDF)

Office of Environment, Health & Safety
2023

This is a PDF version of the Laser Safety Manual

Laser Free Day - November 9, 2022

December 7, 2022
Laser Free Day Information Two laser safety presentations were held on Wednesday, November 9; 10:00am - 12:00pm and 2:00pm - 4:00pm. Both presentations were identical and were held in-person at 290 Hearst Memorial Mining Building and virtually via Zoom. Laser Use Principal Investigators (PIs) were encouraged to attend the session that worked best with their schedules. Online option

Those unable to attend in-person were encouraged to attend the virtual Zoom session. Those who were unable to attend in-person or virtually are encouraged to watch the following...

Laser Shutdown & Safety Day - November 9, 2022

October 28, 2022
The following message was sent to Laser Use Principal Investigators (PIs) on October 28, 2022. Laser Free Day - November 9, 2022 After nearly 20 years without any reported laser injuries and only a few laser incidents on the Berkeley campus, there have been 5 laser exposure incidents within the past 15 months. One incident led to minor, but permanent, retinal damage in a student. For each incident, there were violations of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and/or failure to adhere to campus regulations on laser use.

In response to this uptick, I am...

Labs At Berkeley (L@B)

Labs At Berkeley (L@B) is a web application, created by Berkeley EH&S, that allows any campus laboratory member to view and edit information about researchers in their lab.

Getting started with L@B

Log into L@B using your CalNet ID and you will see your lab’s roster. If you belong to more than one lab, select the name of the lab you wish to view or update from the pull-down list in the upper left corner of the page. To add or remove members,...

Laser Eye Exposure from a 1 Watt Class 4 Laser Beam

January 5, 2022
Office of Environment, Health, and Safety
What happened?

A researcher was exposed to a 1 watt continuous wave beam from a Ti-Sapphire (852 nm) laser while visually inspecting a non-linear crystal on the optical table with a dielectric mirror. The researcher was unaware that the beam was present and it was directed into their right eye. The researcher was not wearing laser eye protection because they thought the laser was off.

Shortly after finishing the visual inspection, the researcher noticed a spot in their field of vision and realized that they had been exposed to the 852 nm laser beam. The researcher was seen at the...

Radiation Safety

Radiation SafetyRadiation Safety oversees and facilitates the use of radiation sources in research and instruction; helping to ensure safety and regulatory compliance.

Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) Laser Template

Lasers-Class 3B or 4
Standard Operating Procedure

This Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) outlines requirements to be considered by an authorized user of the Type of Laser(s) or experiment as well as describes the normal operation of the laser and any hazards that may be encountered during normal operation. Finally, the SOP explains how to minimize any hazards and how to respond in an emergency situation. This document is to be reviewed one year from the date of approval or as conditions warrant, whichever is the shorter time period.