ABSTRACT
Statistics show us that most laser accidents happen to experienced laser users. The greatest risk of on-the-job training (OJT) or mentoring is that of mentoring bad habits. Bad habits are not only deliberately learned activities, but more commonly observed bad habits. When the senior person does not wear laser protective eyewear during alignment or beam manipulation, the novice sees this and gets the message that this is the way things are done. Laser work in a research lab has elements of art built into it. How the artist handles the brush will yield different effects on the canvas. How one learns to handle optics and mounts will affect the quality of work and time it takes to set-up work. One of the key tasks the OJT instructor must perform when meeting with a new trainee is to review the entire goals of the OJT with the trainee.
