Laser accidents: occurrence and response

The goal of the laser safety officer and any laser safety program is to prevent a laser accident from occurring, in particular, one that causes an injury to a person's eyes. Most laser safety courses "in-house commercial" discuss laser accidents, causes, and types of injury. Many do not address appropriate actions to be taken if such an accident occurs. This article reviews a sampling of laser accidents that have occurred and provides a quick overview of the appropriate steps to take when a laser accident occurs.