🚨 Health & Safety

• 💨 Air quality
• 🔥 Fire risk
• 👁️ Eye damage
• ⚠️ RISK ASSESSMENT

💨 Air quality

The extraction system for the laser is adequate, but not brilliant. Some members at the Hackspace are sensitive to the smoke and fumes created by cutting some materials, so the following rules are in place:

Before cutting

Check the air quality monitor behind the laser. If it is green, carry on. If it is yellow, be prepared to stop cutting if anyone in the room is affected by the smoke or fumes. If red, do not start cutting until the air quality has improved (ideally back to green).

During cutting

Continue to monitor the air quality and keep to the guidance above. You may need to pause the laser mid-job until the air quality improves. Please note that the monitor only measures particulates, so some fumes may affect others in the room without the monitor changing colour. This applies mainly when cutting acrylic or other plastics.

After cutting

Do not open the lid of the laser until you can see all the smoke has been extracted from the cutting area. After cutting acrylic, leave the lid down longer to ensure the fumes have also dissipated. Review the air quality monitor before your next cut.

🔥 Fire risk

Remember that there is only a laser in the space due to a fire caused by inattention. Any material that the laser will cut through presents an inherent risk of catching fire.

Before you use the laser

• Make sure you know what you are cutting is safe to use - see the material guide
• Follow any material specific guidelines to reduce fire risk, e.g. removing the protective plastic/paper on acrylic; making sure any paper masking is burnished and well-adhered across the whole area to be lasered
• Make sure you know where the fire blanket is and the nearest fire extinguisher
• Familiarise yourself with how to raise the alarm if a fire occurs
• Make sure the bed is clean and free of debris

While using the laser

• Know how to stop/pause the laser should a fire begin and what to do next
• Always stay in view of the laser and monitor the cut/engrave at all times using the camera
• Do not allow a flame to develop into a fire - deal with it straight away
• If cut out pieces fall in a way that will block the laser, pause and deal with them - a stuck laser or moving material creates a significant fire risk

After using the laser

• Remove your material from the laser and check it is not quietly smouldering - this is particularly important when cutting corrugated cardboard
• Remove all debris from the laser bed between cuts
• Clean the bed and blades thoroughly at the end of your session

👁️ Eye damage

The laser beam and reflected light are invisible and will damage unprotected eyes. Whilst the lid is down, the laser light is contained. Until a leather skirt is attached to the lid, there is a possibility of reflected laser light escaping from under it, so users should ensure no one is seated nearby or shorter persons/children are at eye level to the lid whilst the laser is in use.

Under no circumstances should the safety locks be tampered with or disabled. This ensures the lid has to remain closed at all times the laser is operating.

⚠️ RISK ASSESSMENT

Download link: #205 - Laser Cutter - 260819.pdf

#	Identify Hazards	Who maybe Harmed	Severity	Control Measures	Likelihood	Risk Rating
1	Electric shock	User	High	All electrical equipment should be checked for electrical safety prior to use. Equipment must not be used unless they have a PAT test label on. It is the users responsibility to do a visual check of the equipment. If any defects are found (i.e. cracked casing, defect in lead etc) the equipment is not to be used, to be quarantined, safety officer informed, and a defect label attached. Induction covers inspection of equipment before usage	Low	Med
2	Misuse of equipment	User, Bystander	High	Members are inducted into the correct use of the equipment and understand associated risks. Members found to be deliberately misusing equipment may have their use of the machine restricted or revoked altogether.	Low	Med
3	Eye exposure to laser	User, Bystander	High	Covered in training/induction Close lid during operation Ensure leather skirt is in place to block reflected laser light from under lid Interlock in place to prevent laser firing with access hatch open Warning signs on access panels without interlock Required induction includes full safety training including emergency shutoff Demonstrated competence required before training signed off	Low	Med
4	Risk of fire	User, Bystander	High	Covered in training/induction Check bed and slats are clean of char and debris Only use approved materials Remove plastic coverings and any loose paper masking Any paper masking must be securely stuck down Choose appropriate settings for the material Do not cut more than one layer of material at a time Remain at the machine for the duration of the cut and use the monitor to keep an eye on the material Be aware some material may smoulder undetected (e.g. corrugated cardboard) Know how to stop the laser in case of fire Clean the bed of debris and char after each use Know where the nearest fire blanket/extinguisher is and how to use them Know how to raise the alarm in case of fire Be aware of the fire procedures posted at each exit point	Med	Med
5	Hazardous fumes	User, Bystander	Med	Covered in training/induction Monitor the air quality monitor behind the laser: stop cutting if red, proceed with caution if amber Only use approved materials - no PVC or halide containing materials, no polycarbonate Allow smoke to clear completely from the enclosure before lifting lid Stop cutting if others in the space complain of breathing difficulties	Low	Low
6	Injuries during material handling	User, Bystander	Low	Covered in training/induction Be aware of bystanders when loading and unloading the laser Be aware of potential for sharp edges and wear gloves if needed Potential for lasered materials to cause burns - allow to cool First aid kit available in kitchen area	Low	Low