Hi Ruth Ann,

I can’t say for sure without knowing the specific model, but from talking to our laser safety specialists about this topic my understanding is that most Raman instruments pose a very low risk of injury from the laser. For most instruments, the beam is only accessible from the sample port, and some are constructed so that even there the beam isn’t accessible. If the beam is accessible there then not wearing reflective jewelry would be important, but otherwise the only way to get an exposure to the beam would require very unusual actions (e.g., trying to get your eye right in the beam path) or active efforts to defeat safeguards, both of which would be prevented by competent supervision.

As for how to convince administrators, it really depends on what their specific concerns are/what their approach to risk is.

Sincerely,

Jack Reidy (he/him)

Research Safety Specialist, Assistant Chemical Hygiene Officer

Environmental Health & Safety

Stanford University

484 Oak Road, Stanford, CA, 94305

Tel: (650) 497-7614

I acknowledge that the land on which I live and work is the ancestral and unceded land of the Muwekma Ohlone Tribe. As an uninvited guest on these lands, I am a beneficiary of the ongoing displacement of the Ohlone people. I pay my respects to the Native peoples, past and present.

Greetings,

I am seeking advice first as to the safety of having undergraduate chemistry students work with a Raman spectrometer. They would of course be supervised. The vendor requires that the buyer sign a document acknowledging the hazards of laser work. The document recommends that anyone using the instrument have a vision exam first and remove jewelry. Is there any advice on how to influence the administration that this is a safe activity for our students?  Thank you.

Best,

Ruth Ann

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