EVERYONE: Whether you are a Laser (Optics) person, or not, this set of safety precautions and regulations is intended for everyone.
Please note, and adhere to, the following MANDATORY regulations governing the use and safety of all high powered lasers and laser labs.
1) Whether a Laser Lab is equipped with a red hallway light or not, the Lab access door(s) must ALWAYS be LOCKED while any laser within the lab is in operation. If a lab is equipped with a hallway flashing red light, it MUST always be turned ON while any laser is running. NO EXCEPTIONS!
2) When approaching a Laser Lab, if the door is locked, and/or if equipped with a flashing red light and the light is ON, NO ENTRY IS PERMITTED EXCEPT AFTER KNOCKING (LOUDLY) AND RECEIVING A VERBAL OK TO ENTER, or the occupants come and open the door to let you enter. It will be expected of the occupants of a room with an active laser (running), that they will not allow entry, unless proper Personnel Protective Equipment (PPE) has been adopted properly by those requesting entry, or the laser has been turned OFF. PLEASE NOTE, REFLECTIONS OF LASER BEAMS CAN EXIT THE OPEN DOORS TOO, and there is always a possibility that the red hallway warning light may have burned out after being turned on, and the room occupants would not know that. ALWAYS use extreme caution entering any laser lab when the door is locked.
3) For those of you within a laser lab, who have a high powered laser running, have locked the door, and labs equipped with a red hallway light, have the light turned ON, you may NOT leave the lab unattended until the laser is shut down and the light turned OFF. NO EXCEPTIONS unless cleared with EHS on a case-by-case basis, that personnel with master keys CANNOT enter the room without someone within the room to authorize their entry in a SAFE MANNER.
IT IS YOUR EYES AND BODY THAT ARE BEING PROTECTED HERE. PLEASE DO NOT "BEND" THESE REGULATIONS, OR YOU LAB COULD BE SHUT DOWN INDEFINITELY FOR LASER USE.