Revised ANSI Z136.3-2018 Safe Use of Lasers in Health Care Now Available for Purchase!
ORLANDO, Fla. (PRWEB) August 16, 2018 -- Lasers used for medical procedures can be found in a variety of health care environments such as hospitals, surgery centers, dental and veterinarian offices, laser hair removal salons, laser tattoo removal clinics, and spas. The ANSI Z136.3-2018 American National Standard for Safe Use of Lasers in Health Care serves as a guideline for all personnel who use or are exposed to a laser or laser system that is used as a medical device for a health care application. It is meant to aid in the establishment of medical laser safety policies, procedures and training programs, which keep both patients and staff safe from laser-related hazards.
With sections covering topics specific to health care facilities, such as endotracheal tube fires and infection control, this standard is a must-have for all Medical Laser Safety Officers (MLSOs).
The 2018 revision reflects current thinking and practice. Updates include:
• Refinement of the roles and responsibilities of the Laser Safety Officer (LSO), Deputy LSO (DLSO), Laser Safety Site Contact (LSSC), and Laser Safety Specialist (LSS), with additional information regarding these positions discussed in a new normative appendix
• Revised sections on laser plume
• Expanded guidelines for 3rd party laser rentals
• Introduction of the newly defined Class 1C, which includes laser products designed explicitly for contact application to the skin, i.e., intended for hair removal, skin wrinkle reduction, and acne reduction
Other notable changes to the Z136.3 that MLSOs will need to consider:
• More clearly defined control measures, including the specification of laser operator responsibilities during a procedure
• Changes to area warning signage in both design and signal words
The Z136.3 Standard has helped thousands of MLSOs lend credibility to and implement medical laser safety policies and procedures. John Sakaris, a Board of Laser Safety (BLS) Certified Medical Laser Safety Officer (CMLSO) explained, “It recently helped me reinforce a laser maintenance issue; I was correct, not on my own authority, but because of the ANSI Z136.3 standard. I am considering doing a presentation on this topic at our next International Laser Safety Conference (ILSC) in 2019!”
Laser safety professionals find that this standard is essential to ensuring the efficacy of their health-related laser safety program. BLS CMLSO Leslie Pollard, who has trained hundreds of medical staff in the safe use of lasers in health care settings stated, “The best foundation for an effective and compliant medical laser safety program is a basic understanding of the health care laser safety reference document, ANSI-approved Z136.3.”
The revised ANSI Z136.3-2018 standard is now available for purchase in both print and electronic formats from the LIA online store at http://www.lia.org/store/laser-safety-standards.
Marketing Department, LIA, http://www.lia.org, +1 (407) 380-1553, [email protected]
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