LSO 14: Industrial & Research Laser Safety

Question 1

What are the industrial use of lasers?

Answer 1

cutting, drilling, welding, marking and heat treating

Question 2

What is laser cutting?

Answer 2

Heavily used in industrial manufacturing, used by schools, small businesses and by hobbyists

Question 3

What are advantages over mechanical cutting?

Answer 3

Easier to hold the materials in place while cutting the device
Reduced contamination of workpiece
Increased precision
Reduced chance of warping
Can cut materials that are impossible to cut by other means

Question 4

What is advantage over plasma cutting

Answer 4

its more precise and uses less energy

Question 5

How does laser drilling work?

Answer 5

It’s either melting or vaporization of the workpiece

pulse duration and energy are important to determining wich process dominates

Question 6

What are the advantages of laser drilling?

Answer 6

allow to drill the hole that has shallow angles compared to the surface

Question 7

What is laser welding?

Answer 7

Beam acts as concentrated heat source to join several pieces of metal
high power density creates a small heat affected zone that heats quickly and also cools quickly

Question 8

What are advantages of laser welding?

Answer 8

capable of welding a variety of different materials, higher quality of welds, faster welds

Question 9

What are three main lasers used in industrial applications

Answer 9

Nd, Nd-YAG, Co2

Question 10

What are common machine configurations of industrial laser cutting machines?

Answer 10

Moving material, hybrid and flying optics

Question 11

What is moving material laser?

Answer 11

requires moving the workpiece, limited in the size of the materials you can cut

Question 12

What is flying optics laser?

Answer 12

Fasted laser

Question 13

Which type of industrial laser has a workpiece that remains stationary?

Answer 13

Flying optics

Question 14

What are relevant safety standards?

Answer 14

ANSI Z136.9 and or Z136.1

OSHA 29CFR 1910

Question 15

What is ANSI Z136.9 ( 2013)

Answer 15

Used of laser in manufacturing and industrial environment
Scope:
Applications include but are not limited to: 180nm-1mm

Question 16

OSHA: 29CFR1910

Answer 16

But comply with relevant standards: PPE: Eye and face protection, Respiratory protection, control of hazardous energy

Question 17

OSHA Technical Manual

Answer 17

Assist OSHA compliance officers, useful reference for companies

Question 18

Why is the use of these lasers such a concern when these types of processes are already pretty dangerous?

Answer 18

Invisible and obscured by other equipment

Question 19

What are industrial laser hazards?

Answer 19

radiation, fire, fumes and mists, mechanical, electric sock, eye and skin damage

Question 20

What is radiation hazards ?

Answer 20

Blue light and UV radiation- often reflected off of the workpiece and in to surrounding work areas

Question 21

Hazards controls-Radiation

Answer 21

shielding, distance and PPE

Question 22

Hazards-Fire

Answer 22

Class 4 lasers capable of cutting, welding and drilling through metals,
keep flammables away from the laser use area
cover and protect anything flammable or combustible that may be in the area,
Keep good housekeeping

Question 23

Hazards- Fumes and Mists

Answer 23

Cutting, welding and drilling.
Composition depends upon the metal
Negative health effects: respiratory irritant, carcinogen, metal fume fever
Respiratory protection is always the last line of defense
Appropriate use of local exhaust ventilation

Question 24

Hazards-Mechanical

Answer 24

Robot strikes, optical delivery or manipulation malfunction
make sure, there is laser housing is in place whenever the laser is in operation
For robotic operations, ensure the robot area is properly guarded

Question 25

Hazards- Electric Shock

Answer 25

beam housing open- accidental exposure to electric components
One of the leading causes of death associated with industrial laser systems

only trained and authorized personnel should perform any maintenance or service on lasers
WHen housing is removed to perform electrical work, utilize lockout-tag out
follow accepted electrical safety practices:
verify system and all capacitors discharged, no jewelry, never work alone, use non-conductive tools

Question 26

What are eye and skin hazard from industrial laser?

Answer 26

Class 4 lasers present hazard from : Intrabeam viewing, specular reflections and diffuse reflections

Question 27

What are research laser applications?

Answer 27

Flow Cytometry: cell counting, cell sorting, biomarker detection, protein bioengineering

Question 28

WHat is confocal laser scanning microscopy?

Answer 28

create high-resolution images with dept sensitive

Question 29

Laser use for nuclear fusion research

Answer 29

Shorter half-life waste, lasers are heavily used in fusion research
one type of fusion: Inertial confinement fusion: compression and heating of fuel

Question 30

Spectroscopy?

Answer 30

How matter and radiation interact, laser focused on material to analysed and excites samples, emitted light is collected and analysed

Question 31

ANSI Z136.8

Answer 31

Safe use of lasers in Research, development or testing

Question 32

ANSI Z136.8

Answer 32

laser use in research development and testing, to include but not be limited to universities, product development laboratories, private and public research labs

Question 33

Several unique challenges addressed:

Answer 33

Production and use of home built ,varying output characteristic and beam paths, custom built housings, large volume of users

Question 34

An industrial laser has been acquired by a university for use in a lab to help manufacture components for a research project. Which ANSI standard is most appropriate for this type of work?

Answer 34

ANSI Z136.9 ( since you are using to manufacture some components) just used by research group doesn’t mean research use of lase

Question 35

What are home-built lasers?

Answer 35

often not certified to meet CDRH safety requirements.

Question 36

What are hazard controls for home-built lasers?

Answer 36

Ask abt new lasers and verify audits
Ensure all lasers are classified
Labeled
Appropriate controls are place