When it comes to laser safety, it is often advantageous to think outside the box to ensure maximum protection of laser users and non-laser users. Governing regulations, such as ANSI, OSHA, and IEC, give us the regulatory guidelines to implement standard control measures, and we can purchase an array of off-the-shelf control measures from a number of safety vendors; however, to reach the highest heights in terms of control measure implementation, there is no regulatory blueprint for control measure design. As lasers gain in popularity and because of their increasing sophistication, laser users are prompted to be equally sophisticated or imaginative when designing control measures that fit their system, maximize protection, and communicate a strong safety message to laser users, non-laser users, and site visitors.
The purpose of this paper is to describe a variety of distinct and noteworthy control measures in place at a variety of industries. From laser protective eyewear to television monitors and a few examples in between (including a few cases of ‘what not to do’), carefully planned controls measures are the foundation of laser safety and they always have a positive impact on the mindset of laser users and the overall safety culture of the site.