Lasers are clever devices that reduce manual labour costs and ease the pressures of physical and menial tasks in the manufacturing, fabrication, engineering, and quality control sectors.
A laser can also cause significant injury to your workers, and that is where I'd like to begin this informative piece.
Paying particular attention to the Class 4 laser types being used, and even closer scrutiny of handheld lasers as the riskiest to operate and to have in your workplace.
Most business owners can be swept up in the latest tech and implement these devices with naivety about the legal requirements related to health and safety laws in New Zealand.
Although there are best practice documents such as the Australian and New Zealand Laser Safety standards (ASA/NZS) series to follow, most technical references are circular and refer to other standards that require purchase, when what you may prefer is a plain-language guide on what you need to have in place, what to be aware of, and how to ensure you are compliant with the legal enforcers, as the risk posed by lasers now raises.
Read more from Ruth Nicholson - Director of NZ Laser Training Institute Ltd in the latest issue here
