Laser Safety Policies and Support

The Laser Safety group provides safety and compliance support and training for the use of lasers. EHS holds the registration certificates for university lasers and issues permits to users.

Permittee - for the purposes of laser registration this is a faculty or staff member at UT Austin (excluding post-doctoral, graduate student, and undergraduate student appointments).

Laser Safety Supervisor (LSS) - this individual is the liaison between EHS and the laser users. The LSS may be the Permittee or a knowledgeable designee.

1. Each Class 3b and Class 4 laser in the possession of The University of Texas at Austin (regardless of the actual owner of the laser) must be registered with UT Austin Environmental Health and Safety (EHS). The laser class is typically determined by the laser manufacturer and can be found on a label on the laser. If the laser is missing the label or it is “homemade,” contact EHS to determine the classification.
2. Multiple lasers may be registered to a single Permittee. However, a single laser may not be registered to multiple Permittees. If a laser is to be transferred to another UT Austin Permittee (or another institution), inform EHS of the change.
3. Class 3b and Class 4 lasers that are an integral part of a product that is classified as a Class 1, Class 2, or Class 3a laser product do not need to be registered.
4. Unique “Z” numbers will be assigned to Permittees by EHS. This Z number can be used in lieu of reentering Permittee and LSS information when registering multiple lasers to a single Permittee.
5. Contact EHS before sending any laser (all classes) to Surplus Property.

Manuals

• Laser Safety Manual  (PDF) 

Guides

• Laser Injury Guide
• Laser User Guide (PDF)
• UT Herd – Laser Worker Registration Guide (PDF)
• UT Herd – Laser Registration Guide (PDF)

Forms

• Laser SOP Template
• Laser Inspection Form
• Laser Registration Form
• Laser Transfer Form
• Laser Hazards Survey Form (Lab Questionnaire)
• Laser On-The-Job Training Form
• Laser Temporary Control Area Work Permit
• Laser Eyewear Inspection Form

Standard Operating Procedure Examples

• Microscopy (PDF)
• Optogenetics (PDF)
• Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV)
• Spectroscopy - Simple (PDF)
• Spectroscopy - Complex (PDF)
• Class 4 – Thor Lab, Complex Multi-Laser Lab (PDF)
• Class 4 – Petawatt, Large Facility (PDF)

Build Instructions

• Illuminated Laser Signs (PDF)