LASER ACTIVITY RISK ASSESSMENT FORM
This form must be completed in respect of each registered laser used on University premises.
School / Dept / Unit
Science/Engineering
A: Laser associated hazards and existing controls
1. Has the laser been
registered with the
University Laser
Safety Officer (see
laser safety website at
http:///www.le.ac.uk/c
hemistry/Lasersafety/l
asersafetyweb.html
2. Give brief details
of the laser to be used,
and its location.
Yes
Litron Nano S series Class 4 portable pulsed laser. Emits 400mJ max at
532nm and 15Hz rep rate
If this form is used to
record a review of a
previous assessment,
you may refer to that
assessment and just
note changes.
3. Give a brief
summary of the work
activity.
Used for PIV flow visualisation in conjunction with camera and PC based
data grabber. Beam will be expanded immediately from laser aperture and
will be open.
State whether open
beam work is proposed.
4. List significant
hazards
Take into account laser
class; beam position in
relation to doors &
windows; use of optical
devices within the
beam; beam stops; nonbeam hazards such as
high voltage, toxic
materials, etc
Do not forget hazards
which may be
exacerbated by poor
visibility as a
consequence of
working in a darkened
room – e.g., trip
hazards.
5. Relevant University
or local guidelines or
standards
If Local Rules used,
please attach a copy to
this form.
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1. Laser is not permanently fixed
2. Beam expander in use
3. Harmful Fillite flow seeding material
4. Other hazards will be present depending on the work. These may include
positioning optical devices and the location of the laser in relation to
doors and windows in the room used. Make a separate risk assessment for
these
Tick appropriate box(es) for safety guidelines, etc., used :
British Standard Published Document PD IEC TR 60825-14:2004 – “The safety of laser products”
Local Rules -

Location of Local Rules http://www.le.ac.uk/eg/safety/laser_docs.htm
6. List who might be
exposed to the
hazards (e.g. staff,
students, visitors,
consider numbers at
risk)
Use separate entries
for normal operation
and operation during
beam adjustment or
laser servicing, etc.
7. How might they be
harmed? (type(s) of
injury or health
problem that might
result)
Beam adjustment - trained user only
No other personnel should be exposed to the beam
Fillite is dealt with in its own risk assessment
Hazards particular to the application should be dealt with in a separate risk
assessment
1 & 2. Burns to skin or eye
3. Harmful by inhalation
Please use a separate
entry for each type of
potential injury that
could be caused by
exposure to a hazard
8. List control
measures in place to
reduce risks
Use the information
from the checklist on
the registration form to
compile the list of
control measures.
Group controls under
the headings of
“Engineering controls”;
“Administrative
controls” and “personal
protective equipment”.
Note that “engineering
controls should fail to
safety, for example
failure of a bulb in an
illuminated sign should
be interlocked to a
beam shutter.
For each control
identified above, assess
whether this is
adequate, is actually
used in practice and
state whether this is
regularly checked,
where appropriate.
Note that protective
eyeware must not be
relied upon as a
primary control
measure.
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1. The laser and its optics must be suitably mounted to prevent them
accidentally becoming misaligned and causing emissions and reflections
in unpredictable directions.
2. Keep the expanded beam behind a barrier which demarks zone 1. Use a
scheme of work to instruct all personnel in zone 2 where zone 1 is and
who is allowed into it. Use monitor in zone 2 to view flow in beam, not
viewing directly.
3. Seal the apparatus to prevent the egress of Fillite. Clean up spills of Fillite
thoroughly. Read Fillite Risk Assessment before commencing work with
it.
3. Ensure all other hazards to do with the experiment are dealt with in a
manner that does not compromise the means of reducing the laser
hazards
B: Assessing the residual level of risk and further action needed
9.1 How severe is
any injury or health
effect likely to be?
9.2. How likely is
exposure to the
hazard?
9.3. Calculate the
risk score by
multiplying the 2
scores in Q9.1 & 9.2
Tick one box
(S =score given
in brackets)
Tick one box
(P =score given
in brackets)
Risk Score
(S x P) =



Minor
(1)
Very unlikely
Serious
(2)
Unlikely
Major
(3)
Possible
 (1)
 (2)
 (3)
Low
Medium
High
 (13)
(46)
10. Immediate further action to be taken to make the situation
safe / reduce risk to health
(89)

Fatal
(4)
Likely
 (4)
Very High
(1216)
Action to be
taken by
whom?
Implementation
Date
Action to be
taken by
whom?
Implementation
Date
None
11. Further action or additional controls needed to reduce risk as
low as reasonably practicable
None
Name of principal user
(please print)
Name of Assessor
Prof A. Aroussi
Paul Williams
Signature of Assessor
12. Date for Review
(maximum 12 months from date of this assessment)
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Date: 22 May 2009
22 May 2010