The requirements for conducting and documenting risk assessments are described in section 3.2 of STFC Safety Code 6 Risk Management. SC06-Risk-management.Contractors may use their own format for risk assessments but they must meet the standards laid out in this code.
An optical radiation-specific risk assessment is required for all high hazard and low hazard laser work, and for use of low risk category lasers on those exceptional occasions where the requirements of this code as set out in Appendix 7 cannot be met.
The laser radiation hazard is unique: with its long range, the ease with which the hazard path can be redirected, its speed of impact and immediacy of injury and the severity of the injury to the eyes. Also unique is the wide range of control measures available to deal with the risk.
