ARPANSA - Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency

22 August 2011

INVITATION TO MAKE SUBMISSIONS

Draft Safety Guide for the Use of Radiation in Schools
Part 2: Lasers

The Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency is inviting submissions on the Draft Safety Guide for the Use of Radiation in Schools – Part 2: Lasers.

This draft Safety Guide addresses the safe use of lasers in teaching applications or wherever students can be exposed or potentially exposed to laser radiation in primary schools, secondary schools and colleges.  This document contains information about the most appropriate lasers to be used in schools and colleges and how teachers may use risk assessments when designing experiments.

The draft Safety Guide is intended to allow teachers to understand the potential hazards associated with the use of lasers and the classification and labelling scheme for laser products.  It also provides practical advice and guidance on procedures and constructing a risk assessment that, if followed, will:

• reduce the likelihood of inadvertent or deliberate exposure of staff and students to laser radiation; and
• ensure the safety of all persons where lasers are used for teaching purposes in schools.

This is a companion document to the already published RPS 18 Safety Guide for the Use of Radiation in Schools - Part 1: Ionizing Radiation. Please note that comments should be confined to Part 2: Lasers.

An Invitation to Make Submissions and the Draft Safety Guide can be downloaded via the links below:

• Invitation to Make Submissions (PDF 62k)
• Public Consultation Draft Safety Guide for the Use of Radiation in Schools -
  Part 2: Lasers (PDF 1,880k)

Requests for hardcopies can be made by email to secretariat@arpansa.gov.au or by telephoning (03) 9433 2339.

Public submissions closed on 30 September 2011.

All submissions will be held in a register of submissions, and unless marked confidential, may be made public.

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