As the laser industry expands and matures, laser users continue to experience many types of serious accidents at what seems to be an alarmingly increasing rate. These events are generally described by one of the following basic exposure scenarios:
The accidental exposure of the eye resulting in either temporary or often permanent vision function loss.
The accidental exposure of skin resulting in burns and/or photochemically based skin effects.
Ignition of fires of both facility and personnel natures.
High voltage exposures which are often lethal.
Injury to patients during medical therapy caused by unknowledgeable use, equipment failure, severe fires and gas embolism.
Inhalation of laser generated air contaminants (LGAC’s) and/or viewing laser generated plasmas.
Ocular exposures to pilots at flashblinding levels causing persistent afterimages and/or vision degradation
REFERENCES
1.
Rathkey
, A.S.
, Accidental laser burn of the Macula
, Arch. Ophthalmology
74
: 346
–348
, 1965
2.
Blancard
, P.
, A propos d’une photocoagulation maculaire par laser, accidentelle
, Ann. Oculist
198
: 263
–264
, 1965
3.
Jacobson
, J.H.
and McClean
, J.M.
, Accidental laser retinal burns
, Arch. Ophthalmology
74
: 882
, 1965
4.
Zweng
, H.C.
, Accidental Q-switched Laser Lesion of Human Macula
, Arch. Ophthalmology
, 78
: 596
–599
, 1967
5.
Curtin.
T.L.
and Boyden
, D.G.
, Reflected Laser Beam Causing Accidental Burn of Retina
, Am. J. Ophthalmology
65
: 188
–189
, 1968
6.
Litvin
, M.S.
, et.at., Burn Injury After Carbon Dioxide Laser Radiation
, Arch. Surgery
98
: 219
–222
, 1969
7.
Armstrong
, C.E.
, Eye Injuries in Some Modern Radiation Environments
, J. Am. Opt. Assn.
41
: 55
–62
, 1970
8.
Henkes
, H. E.
and Zuidema
, H.
, Accidental Laser Coagulation of the Central Fovea
, Ophthalmologica
171
: 15
–25
, 1975
9.
Osipov
, G.L.
and Pyatin
, M. M.
, Eye Injury by Laser Beam
, Vestnil oftal’mologii
1
: 50
–51
, 1978
10.
Burgess
, G. F.
and LeJeune
, F. E.
, Endotracheal Tube Ignition During Laser Surgery of the Larynx
, Arch. Otolaryngol.
105
, 561
–562
, September
, 1979
11.
Sliney
, D.H.
and Wolbarsht
, M.
, Safety with Lasers and Other Optical Sources, Plenum
, New York
, ppg:103
, 1980
12.
Prammer
, G.
, Wiesflecker
, J.
, Grabner
, G.
, Makulaverletzung durch Festoorperlaser
, Klin. Mbl Augenheilk
, 176
, 326
–327
, 1980
13.
Boldrey
, E E.
, et al, Retinal Injury Due to Industrial Laser Burns
, Ophthalmology
88
: 101
–107
, 1981
14.
Balashevich
, L. T.
, et al, Some Incidents of Eye Damage by Laser Radiation
, Vestnil oftal’mologii
1
: 60
–61
, 1981
15.
Volkov
, V. V.
, Balashevich
, L. T.
, et al, Course and Outcome of Accidental Laser Injuries to Fundus Oculi
, Oftal’mologicheskiy Zhurnal
36
: 3
, 1981
16.
Bleckmann
, H.
, Zorn
, R.
, Akzidentelle Laserkoagulation der Makula
, Klin. Mbl. Augenheilk
, 179
, 38
–40
, 1981
17.
Gayday
, V. M.
and Filippenko
, V. I.
, Accidental Laser Injury to Fundus of Both Eyes
, Voyenno-Meditsinskiy Zhurnal
5
: 56
–58
, 1982
18.
Glovinsky
, Y.
, Regenbogen
, L.
, and Bartov
, E.
, et al., Macular Pucker Following Accidental Laser Burn
, Metab. Pediatr. Syst. Ophthalmol.
6
: 355
–359
, 1982
19.
Goldberg
, M. F.
, Young
, R. S.
and Read
J.
, et al., Macular Hole Caused by a 580 nm Dye Laser Operating for 10 nsec
., Retina
, 3
: 42
–44
, 1983
20.
Fowler
, B.J.
, Accidental Industrial Laser Burn of the Macula
, Ann. Ophthalmology
15
: 481
–483
, 1983
21.
Asano
, T.
, Accidental YAG Laser Burn
, Am. J. Ophthalmol.
98
(1
): 116
–117
, 1984
22.
Wolfe
, J. A.
, Laser Retinal Injury
, Military Medicine
150
: 177
–185
, 1985
23.
Lang
, G. K.
, Lang
G.
, Naumann
, G. O. H.
, Akzidentielle bilaterale asymmertrishe Rubin-Laser-Makulopathie
, Klin. Mbl. Augenheilk
, 186
, 366
–370
, 1985
24.
Rockwell
, R. James
, Learning From Case Studies: How to Avoid Laser Accidents, Chapter 4, from: Clinical Lasers: Expert Strategies For Practical and Profitable Management, B.
Breedlove
and D.
Schwartz
, Eds., Am. Health Consultants Inc
., 67
Peachtree Park Dr.
, Atlanta, GA
, 1985
.25.
Improper Safety Glasses Key Factor in Serious Eye Injury, Issue No. 11, (DOE/EH-0007), Serious Accidents, Assistant Secretary for Environmental Safety & Health, U.S. Dept. Energy, Washington, D.C.,
January
, 1986
.26.
Rockwell
, R. James
, Alignment Accidents, Radiant Resources Newsletter
, Vol. VII
, August
, 1987
.27.
Rockwell
, R. James
, Summary of Medical Laser Incidents Reported to FDA From 1983-1986, Radiant Resources Newsletter
, Vol. VII
, March/April
, 1987
.28.
Rockwell
, R. James
, Laser Safety Training Manual
- Third Edition, Pub: Rockwell Associates
, Cincinnati, Ohio
, 1988
29.
Bauman
, N.
, Laser Accidents: Why Only 10% Get Reported, Laser Med
. & Surg. News and Adv
. Pg. 1
–7
, August
, 1988
30.
Bandle
, A.M.
and Holyoak
, B.
, Laser Incidents, Chapter 6, from Medical Laser Safety - Report No. 48
, United Kingdom Institute of Physical Sciences, 47 Belgrave Sq.
, London, England
, 1988
31.
Haifeng
, L.
, et al. Ocular Injuries From Accidental Laser Exposure
, Health Phys.
Vol. 56
, No. 5
(pp 711
–716
), 1989
32.
Gabel
, V.P.
, et al. Clinical Observations Of Six Cases Of Laser Injury To The Eye
, Health Physics
, Vol. 56
, No. 5
(pp 705
–710
), May
, 1989
33.
Rockwell
, R. James
Jr., Laser Accidents: Are They All Reported and What Can Be Learned From Them? Journal of Laser Applications
, Publisher: Laser Institute of America
, Toledo, Ohio
, pp: 53
–57
, October
, 1989
.34.
American National Standards Institute
, American National Standard for the Safe Use of Lasers: ANSI Z-136.1
(1986
), Publisher: Laser Institute of America
, Orlando, FL
, 1986.35.
Kearney
, J.J.
, et al., Laser Injury to Multiple retinal Foci
, Lasers in Surgery and Medicine
, 7
: 499
–502
, 1987
.36.
Tomita
Y.
, et al., Mutagenicity of Smoke Condensates Induced by CO2 Laser Irradiation
, Mutation Research
V89
:145
–149
(1981
)
This content is only available via PDF.
© 1993 Laser Institute of America.
1993
Laser Institute of America
You do not currently have access to this content.