ACGIH limits and guidance used in laser safety

The American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH) has played an active role in laser safety issues for the past two decades. This paper will provide an overview of the ACGIH activities that have contributed to these issues. The Physical Agents Threshold Limit Value (PA-TLV) Committee provided the first national guidelines for occupational exposure to laser radiation in 1969. The Committee reviews these TLVs annually and revises them to reflect the latest biological effects literature. The pertinent scientific literature used as a basis for the TLV is provided in the “Documentation of the Threshold Limit Values and Biological Exposure Indices.” In 1973 the PA-TLV Committee developed a booklet entitled “A Guide for the Control of Laser Hazards.” This booklet, presently undergoing its fourth revision, provides practical information for the health and safety professional on the assessment and control of laser radiation hazards. Recently, the non-beam hazards associated with the use of lasers have been emphasized. The generic guidance on these related hazards, available from ACGIH through its Technical Committees and publications, will be discussed.