clso-tekla-staley-profile.html

 My name is Tekla Staley.

I graduated from The College of Idaho, a private Presbyterian college in Caldwell, Idaho, in 1987 with a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry and a minor in business administration.  I am a Certified Industrial Hygienist, a
Certified Safety Professional, and a Certified Laser Safety
Officer.

I am currently employed by Battelle Energy Alliance and
assigned to the Specific Manufacturing Capabilities (SMC) facility at the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) in southeastern Idaho as a Health & Safety Engineer.

I began working with lasers in 1990 at the INL’s Reactor
Technologies Complex and have been working with them for
the past 18 years.  In those 18 years, I have conducted
INL-wide assessments, written INL-wide reports, developed
training programs and provided the basis and direction for
Department of Energy safety bulletins on laser safety.  I have worked closely with operators and engineers on a number of high-power CO2 lasers in a manufacturing environment and assisted in the development of engineered safety features for automated production lines. I am also a member of the ANSI SSC-9 subcommittee for the safe use of lasers in manufacturing.

Becoming an LSO
Our INL health and safety program requires all health & safety engineers to serve as subject matter experts (SME) for various health and safety programs.  This requires the SME to provide support and respond to questions and concerns for the entire INL and external agencies not only the assigned facility.  Because the SMC facility has the greatest concentration of high-powered lasers at the INL, I am required to serve not only as the facility LSO, but the INL LSO.  After taking on this assignment, I felt more of a commitment was needed to instill a greater confidence in employees, health and safety engineers, and management and assure them that I was experienced and knowledgeable enough to fill this role.  I took steps to learn more about lasers and laser safety and to become certified.

I enjoy serving as the LSO and feel that it is definitely challenging.  It is a fascinating field—one that is ever-changing and filled with countless applications.  As a health and safety professional, I have not had the experience of working with lasers in a research and development setting, extensive hands-on use or laser assembly.  Therefore, it is always a challenge to clearly understand the laser use environment and the experience level of the users to provide functional, practical and appropriate safety measures that protect the users while allowing work to progress. 

Becoming a CLSO
Becoming certified has enhanced my knowledge base and given me a broader and more extensive background in laser safety.  Having a laser certification has given workers, management and other health and safety professionals assurance that I have an adequate background to make laser safety decisions that will affect their work.  They can trust me and turn to me for help with laser issues.  They believe I will provide them with practical answers and work with them to find practical solutions for complex laser use conditions.