LLNL Opens New Hands-On Laser Safety Training Facility

With thousands of lasers packed into Livermore’s one-square-mile footprint, personnel working in laser facilities must be familiar with the procedures for safely operating and servicing laser systems. Even though laser light is in the non-ionizing part of the electromagnetic spectrum, it can cause injury and permanent damage in the blink of an eye.

This dangerous potential of laser light came to a head after a near-miss incident in 2024. While thankfully there were no injuries, management conducted a thorough post-incident safety review of the case and determined that updating the operator training materials was one key step to preventing future close calls.

“If a technician or researcher is working with a laser without understanding the risks involved, they won’t know the precautions that need to be taken to complete that work safely,” says Laser Safety Officer Karla Armstrong.

“Our laser safety courses cover the basic knowledge and skills the laser worker needs to do their job safely.”

A working group convened between the Environment, Safety and Health (ESH) department’s Laser Safety Office (LSO) and frequent laser systems users at the Laboratory, including Brian Shaw (National Security Engineering Division), Suzanne Ali (Physical and Life Sciences), and Austin Linder and Terry Hilsabeck from Laser Systems Engineering and Operations.

Since the previous program was being phased out, the group set out to reimagine the training experience, focusing in particular on the Laser Alignment Training course intended to orient workers to the operations and alignment techniques of high-powered, open laser beams. Safety experts took on rewriting the course curriculum and updating associated course materials. They understood that the training materials should convey not only the physics principles of laser light and proper safety measures; more importantly, they sought to provide practical, hands-on experience to bring the principles to life for trainees.

To move beyond the textbook to hands-on training opportunities, the group secured a training room in a Lab building. This location was suitable for installing an interlock system that controls access to the lasers in the demonstration facility.

Into this new space the size of a small conference room, they maneuvered a laser table and equipped it with the types of optical components that laser workers are likely to encounter at the Laboratory. The new setup mimics optical configurations of higher power systems while allowing skills to be gained at low power, eliminating the risk of injury.

When trainees begin the new training course, they can interact directly with a laser table decked out with a range of optics including polarizing beam splitter cubes, waveplates, dichroic mirrors, periscopes, and telescopes.

“The working group collaborated to incorporate the specific optical elements that have been involved in near-miss incidents into the training beam paths and optical layouts used in the course,” Armstrong says.

During the course, trainees learn to use two mirrors to direct the laser beam through two apertures to achieve a precise position and angle. After successfully completing the training, role-exclusive training from managers and mentors may still be provided for the specific laser systems employees plan to operate.

The new Laser Alignment Training course was highlighted at the recent Department of Energy Laser Safety Officer Workshop, hosted by Lawrence Livermore, where many attendees received a copy of the course’s “Laser User Alignment and Reference Guide.” By reinvigorating the LSO’s Alignment Training Course, the Laboratory reaffirms its commitment to world class leadership in laser research while ensuring a safe work environment for its employees.

More Information:

“LLNL Hosts Laser Safety Officer Workshop,” NIF & Photon Science News, July 6, 2026

“New Generation of Laser Safety Officers Convene for DOE Workshop,” NIF & Photon Science News, November 16, 2022

“LLNL Hosts DOE Laser Safety Officer Workshop,” NIF & Photon Science News, August 27, 2014

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