Volume 6 - Issue 2

This year there was no International Laser Safety Conference (ILSC ®), so the annual meeting of the Board of Commissioners was delayed until May. I would like to take this opportunity to share some of the meeting highlights with you.

For the 2012-2015 term, two commissioner seats were appointed by the LIA Executive Committee and the remaining seat was elected by the commissioners . It is my pleasure to announce our newly appointed commissioners, Don Haes and Casey Stack; and elected for a second term as commissioner, Candy Soles.

With the departure of Ben Edwards from this board, having served the maximum number of consecutive years allowed, Sheldon Zimmerman has been elected to the position of Chair and Candy Soles was elected as Secretary/Treasurer (see Meet Your New Commissioners and Officers).

In addition to administrative items, such as change of banking establishment and renewal of our psychometric services company, the important issue of maintaining the financial health of the BLS was discussed in length. The past few years have been difficult for many of us within the laser safety community; it has been difficult for the BLS as well. The decline of industry dollars has taken its toll on safety training/education and certification, certainly one of the first places trimmed from the budget for many.

In an effort to revitalize the BLS, your commissioners have each taken on specific tasks, including presenting papers and posters at related conferences, and writing letters to relevant organizations and government bodies to raise awareness. I encourage you to support your commissioners and the BLS by promoting laser safety education and certification in your daily activities. Please contact me with any actionable suggestions at bsams@lasersafety.org or call me at +1.407.380.5833.

This August will see the 10^th anniversary of the inaugural group of certified laser safety officers. CLSOs that passed the first exam and have maintained their active status are:

Ken Barat,
Joe Greco,
Tom Johnson,
Wes Marshall,
David Sliney and
Dewey Sprague.

Please join me in congratulating these CLSOs on this achievement!
I would like to personally thank each of you for your continued support to the BLS.

Barbara Sams
Executive Director

Featured CMLSO, Cathi Scogin

I have a degree in Nursing and Economics, I started working in the laser industry in 1987, so I have been working in the Laser Safety field for 25 years. I am the Territory Sales Manager at Honeywell Safety, and the CLSO, CMLSO. (more).

Featured CLSO, Tod Richards

My background is in Nuclear Mechanical Operation, Submarines, I was in the U.S. Navy from 82–88. I have a B.S. in Natural Resources Management & Engineering from the University of Connecticut –92, and a M.P.H. degree from The University of Connecticut –05; I am a Husband of 24 years to my wife Cathy, and father of our two teen-aged daughters, Samantha and Tessa. (Wish I could make up an educational title acronym for all that!)...(more).

Welcome New CLSO!

Welcome New CMLSOs!

ASC Z136 News

Starting with the release of the ANSI Z136.3-2011 American National Standard for Safe

Use of Lasers in Health Care, a number of standards that have been in development for

several years are coming to fruition... (more).

Save the Dates!

If your company/organization is planning an event and would like to be listed above, as well as apply for BLS Certification Maintenance points, please contact us at bls@lasersafety.org. Thank you.

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