Therapy Laser Safety

The use of medical lasers for both surgical and therapy applications has grown tremendously in the past 30 years. With the exponential growth of the application of laser therapy in both human and veterinary medicine, the safe use of all therapy devices is paramount for veterinarians, technicians, and patients. Since 2011, guidelines established and published by the American National Standards Institute (Z136.3 – Safe Use of Lasers in Health Care) have included the profession of veterinary medicine. Many regulatory agencies (OSHA, FDA) use these guidelines as a model for evaluation of clinical facilities. This chapter briefly outlines the guidelines for implementation in veterinary medicine, specifically laser therapy. Emphasis is placed on beam hazards for ocular safety and implementation of appropriate laser safety control areas.