Safety and Complications

ASLMS recognizes the critical need for the implementation of safety measures and appropriate training for physicians and staff performing procedures with lasers and related energy-based devices.

hoopman-john

John Hoopman, AAS, CMLSO
ASLMS Safety Director

rahman-zakia

Zakia Rahman, MD
ASLMS Laser Safety Board Representative

Safety Videos

The ASLMS Safety Awareness Committee has developed a series of instructional videos and Instagram Live events to highlight laser safety. Check out this preview video featuring ASLMS Safety Director John Hoopman, CMLSO.

ASLMS members have access to all laser safety videos. Log in is required.

ASLMS Safety Director John Hoopman, CMLSO, walks us through the Laser Safety Guide for Health Care Facilities, a comprehensive checklist. Recorded at the ASLMS 2022 Annual Conference.

ANSI Z136.3 (2018)

ASLMS members have been actively involved in developing the recommended guidelines for safe use of lasers in health care, known as American National Standard for Safe Use of Lasers in Health Care, ANSI Z136.3. The standard was last revised in 2018.

Learn More

A copy of ANSI Z136.3 (2018) Safe Use of Lasers in Health Care can be purchased from the Laser Institute of America (LIA).

ASC Z136-2018 is the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) Accredited Standards Committee for the Z136 series of laser safety standards. These standards are the United States' national consensus standards for laser safety. Developed and maintained by the committee, the standards describe procedural standards of practice for the patient and staff in order to control the safety hazards associated with laser utilization. The ANSI document also describes the safety requirements, including the engineering and administrative control measures necessary to establish a facility-based Laser Safety Program. In addition, methodologies for properly conducting a Laser Hazard Evaluation per laser system are included with a description of the Maximum Permissible Exposures (MPE), Nominal Hazard Zones (NHZ), and associated laser protective eyewear‘s Optical Density (OD) required to reduce the exposure risks to lasers and laser systems.

ASLMS Representatives for the Laser Institute of America Z136 Committee for Safety

Rebecca L. Sprague, RN, NP-C
Primary Representative

Macrene R. Alexiades, MD, PhD
Alternative Representative

ASLMS Safety Resources

Laser Eyewear Audit Booklet
Aesthetic laser treatments involve the use of high-energy that can pose a risk to the eyes of both patients and practitioners. Proper safety eyewear, for both the practitioner and the patient, is crucial to protect against potential eye damage. This protocol outlines the steps for selecting, caring for, and using safety eyewear during aesthetic laser treatments.

This booklet contains:
- Protocol for Selecting, Caring, and Using Safety Eyewear for Aesthetic Treatments
- Laser / Light-Based Device Safety Survey
- Laser Eyewear Audit and Inventory Form
Get the Booklet

Laser Safety Guide for Health Care Facilities

The Safety Awareness Committee developed this safety checklist for facilities to use to set up and monitor their laser safety practices. It is available for download in PDF and Word document formats, allowing facilities to change it as needed to meet their state/country requirements.

PDF: Laser Safety Guide for Health Care Facilities
Word: Laser Safety Guide for Health Care Facilities

ASLMS Laser Safety Guide in Dermatology and Plastic Surgery

This guide was developed through the ASLMS mentorship program. It provides information on safety standards, general safety precautions, eye hazards and ocular protection, skin hazards, plume hazards and precautions, and more. Read Now

Laser Plumes and Safety

The ASLMS Laser Safety Committee reports on the hazards of vaporized tissue plume and offers safety recommendations. ASLMS Laser and Energy Device Plume Position Statement

Device Specific Checklists for Laser Safety

These checklists were developed through the ASLMS mentorship program. They are device-specific checklists for using laser devices to minimize the risk of errors. These checklists are to be implemented in clinical settings where laser devices are used.

Members are encouraged to print, laminate, and attach these checklists to devices in the office for daily use.

Get the Checklist

Other Safety Resources

Recommendations to Reduce Surgical Fires and Related Patient Injury: FDA Safety Communication

The FDA is reminding health care professionals and health care facility staff of factors that increase the risk of surgical fires on or near a patient. The FDA also recommends practices to reduce these fires from occurring, including the safe use of medical devices and products commonly used during surgical procedures. Read More

Fundamental Use Of Surgical Energy™ (Fuse) - A Sages Fundamentals Program

The Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons (SAGES) developed the Fundamental Use of Surgical Energy™ (FUSE) program to meet the need for increased education and training in the principles and properties of operating electrosurgical instruments safely. FUSE is designed to certify that a successful candidate has the demonstrated knowledge fundamental to the safe use of surgical energy-based devices in the operating room, endoscopic suite, and other procedural areas. Learn More

Additional Safety Resources

Safety Director John Hoopman, CMLSO co-authored these publications for the Aesthetic Surgery Journal.

The Role of the Laser Safety Officer and Laser Safety Programs in Clinical Practice

Laser and Light-Based Device Education in a Plastic Surgery Residency Program: A Continuing Medical Education Overview

Safety Guidelines Concerning the Use of Protective Eyewear and Gauze During Laser Procedures

Five Parameters You Must Understand to Master Control of Your Laser/Light-Based Devices

The Effects of Aesthetic Lasers on Three Study Materials Used for Ocular Protection

Laws and Regulations of Laser Operation in the United States

The laws and regulations governing laser operation in the United States are vague, complex, and vary from state to state. A study, originally published in Lasers in Surgery and Medicine in 2018, presented an overview of the laws and regulations of laser operation in each of the 50 states. See study. The authors performed an extensive online search of the law in each of the 50 states by examining multiple state cosmetology boards, state legislative boards, state nursing boards, and state medical boards. The principal author, Catherine DiGiorgio, MD, compiled the laws and regulations into a chart with links to online resources by state, and categorized which states consider the use of lasers as the "practice of medicine." Laser regulations are best divided into three categories: delegation (who can delegate a laser procedure to another provider or individual), level of supervision required (to what extent the operation of a laser requires supervision and who is qualified to supervise), and operation (who can fire the laser).

Laser Regulations 2019

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Annual Conference

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