Volume 8 – Issue 2

Message from the Director

Several years ago I made a promise to relay continuing maintenance (CM) point opportunities as they occur. Feeling at times more like a broken record than a perennial bloom
(for those of you who do not recognize the idiom broken record, it means to repeat over and over and over again), the following opportunities are achievable:

Membership in laser safety-related professional/technical organizations or societies -Laser Institute of America
offers CLSOs and CMLSOs a special 3-year membership; however, membership in a similar organization, such as AIHA,
HPS, AORN, or ASLMS also applies in this CM point category.

Active participation in laser safety standards or regulations committees external of your organization – ASC Z136
is seeking members for standards subcommittees now forming to begin development on revisions to Z136.4, Z136.5 and Z136.8. See ASC Z136 News for details.

Attendance at laser safety or application professional conferences or meetings – join us at the 2015 International
Laser Safety Conference (ILSC), March 23-26, 2015 in Albuquerque, NM. See ILSC Update for details.

Cycle ending this December? Attend the 10th Annual DOE LSO Workshop, this year hosted by
Lawrence Livermore National Lab. The Workshop is a 2.5-day meeting and will include both invited and contributed talks. Registration is now open!

Presentations or poster papers at laser safety professional conferences or meetings – back for ILSC 2015, the
Poster Presentation Gallery will be featured throughout the conference, not to mention presenting in a scientific session or practical applications seminar.

Any organization that believes it offers products or services beneficial to the continuing education of our certified laser safety officers is encouraged to contact the BLS to submit its offerings
for consideration of CM credit. Please contact the BLS at 407.985.3810 or email bls@lasersafety.org.

Barbara Sams
Executive Director
Board of Laser Safety

Featured CLSO, William Pate
Many professional opportunities have resulted from being certified, in particular being a CLSO. Starting out in medical facilities, I did consider CMLSO certification, but in the Province of Alberta,
in order to be an Authorized Radiation Protection Agency offering laser safety services, CLSO designation is required. Secondly, in the medical field, most professions require certification and
certification maintenance. This requirement in laser safety helps the profession, and those individuals working in it, to be taken seriously. (more…)

Featured CMLSO, Jacob Kamen
As a certified MLSO, I provide expertise to the Medical Center for the better protection of staff and patients. In addition, recently we have had mergers with other health care providers and this is
an excellent time for me to implement all my experiences in a much larger scale. (more…)

For those of you who know me, this news will come as no surprise. Heavily ensconced in our laser safety community – my primary responsibility at the Laser Institute of
America being Director of Standards Development – you will intuitively know that as soon as the 2015 International Laser Safety Conference (ILSC) call for papers is available, I will be promoting the conference. And here we are – abstract submission deadline October 2.

As in previous years, the BLS will be participating as a cooperating society. The least this means is you can attend ILSC 2015 at the discounted LIA member conference registration fee. However, ILSC
is not just another conference, it is our conference. While scientific sessions address developments in regulatory, mandatory and voluntary safety standards, the Practical Applications Seminars
complement the scientific sessions by exploring everyday scenarios that the LSO and MLSO may encounter. These seminars are planned with you in mind, chaired by fellow CLSO Tom Lieb (Technical) and
CMLSOs Vangie Dennis and Leslie Pollard (Medical).

Join us and earn CM points by presenting! Earn CM points by attending! Sit in on the annual ASC Z136 meeting or join any of the ancillary subcommittee meetings! Network with friends and peers!

Stay tuned for ILSC updates, including a special BLS event you will not want to miss!

Since December 2011, Accredited Standards Committee (ASC) Z136 has produced three revised and introduced two new documents into the Z136 series of laser safety standards,
bringing the total number of published Z136 standards to nine. Moreover, with the most recent revision of the Z136.1 (released in March 2014), the vertical standards – Z136.2 through Z136.9 – now
take precedence over the Z136.1 within the scope of those standards. (more…)

ABIH (Certified Industrial Hygienist) now awards CM credit to Diplomats for exams that did not previously qualify for CM credit. This includes many
professional certifications, including Certified Laser Safety Officer, as well as many other non-certification exams used for licensing and registration.

BCSP (Certified Safety Professionals) awards recertification points for passing certain certification examinations or completing requirements for other certifications or licenses by
examination:
Certified Laser Safety Officer . . . . . . . . . . . 2 points

Speaking Opportunity: The North Carolina Chapter of the Health Physics Society is looking for a speaker for its fall meeting to discuss lasers (safety or application). If you are
interested, please contact the BLS office. This activity is eligible for CM points.