ABSTRACT
The identification and control of laser hazards should not be carried out in isolation, but undertaken within a management framework as part of the overall health and safety policy of the organization concerned. While there are some differences in the detail of safety legislation from country to country, the emphasis of all safety law is to require manufacturers to supply safe products and for employers to take all reasonable steps to protect their employees from injury or ill health. Specific national requirements may exist for dealing with particular kinds of hazard, but there are also more general obligations placed on employers to ensure a safe place of work through the use of inherently safe work equipment and through the proper control of workplace risks.
