Table of Contents
5.0) Safe Disposal of Lasers and Associated Waste
5.1) Introduction
There may be units with lasers which do not use other hazardous materials.
The supervisors of laser using units (usually laboratories) are, however,
responsible for any hazardous materials produced by laser beams and/or
used in the laser system itself.
Because laser systems which are potentially operable must remain under
the responsibility of an authorized laser supervisor, laser systems cannot
be permitted to be abandoned or discarded into the trash.
5.2) Disposal of Laser Associated Wastes
Supervisors and Users shall:
5.2.1) Follow the procedures specified in Section 1.0 for disposal of
hazardous materials wastes generated from laser activities.
5.2.2) Follow the procedures specified in Section 2.0 for disposal of
hazardous chemical wastes generated from laser activities.
5.2.3) Follow the procedures specified in Section 3.0 for disposal of
hazardous biological wastes generated from laser activities.
5.2.4) Follow the procedures specified in Section 4.0 for disposal of
radioactive wastes generated from laser activities.
5.3) Disposal/Transfers of Lasers
Supervisors shall not:
5.3.1) Transfer responsibility for a non-exempt laser unless prior approval
has been obtained from the EHS Dept. Laser Safety Officer
Note 1: As indicated above this includes discarding the laser in trash
or abandoning it.
Note 2: Temporary transfer of responsibility to the Laser Safety Officer
is an option which may be arranged.
The EHS Laser Safety Officer shall:
5.3.2) Verify that a laser system has been so disabled that potential
use of the system has been destroyed and that any associated hazardous
material waste has been properly processed prior to approving the placement
of such a system in the trash. The laser shall then be removed from the
university inventory.
5.3.3) Accept responsibility for a laser system if a proposed transfer
of the laser is to another employee who is not an authorized user and shall
transfer that responsibility when the prospective owner has been certified
as an authorized user or laboratory supervisor.
5.3.4) Approve the transfer of the unit to a non-university owner if
appropriate and remove the laser from the university inventory or to an
authorized laboratory supervisor (who has the appropriate permit, if a
permit-requiring laser is involved) and change the inventory information.
5.3.5) Document the actions that have been taken and place these in
the records.
