OSHA, LIA form alliance

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the Laser Institute of America have formed an alliance that focuses on providing access to training resources to help protect worker safety and health, particularly by reducing and preventing exposure to laser beam and nonbeam hazards in industrial and medical workplaces.

The alliance calls for OSHA and LIA to work together to develop training and education programs for OSHA staff and employers, and employee who use lasers in the workplace. In addition, they will provide laser-related training courses and focus on sharing information on the bioeffects that lasers have on the eyes and skin, laser control measures, and laser safety program administration.

Alliance members will produce materials on the recognition and prevention of laser hazards in the workplace and develop electronic assistance tools and other ways to communicate the information. A joint team of representatives from LIA and OSHA will meet regularly to develop an action plan, identify goals and objectives, and track and share information on activities and results.