Laser Institute of America: Celebrates 40 Years of Advancing Laser Technology!

(Orlando, FL, June 30, 2008) — For 40 years, the Laser Institute of America (LIA) has been promoting the continued growth of laser applications and their safe use across the globe. LIA was formed in 1968 by a group of academic scientists, developers and engineers who were truly passionate about taking an emerging new laser technology and turning it into a viable industry.The founding members of LIA were in good company, with laser pioneers such as Dr. Arthur Schawlow and Dr. Theodore H. Maiman among the original board of directors. These first “members” of LIA believed in the importance of sharing new ideas about lasers. This belief, as it remains today, is to promote laser applications and their safe use through education, training and symposia. “Over the years, we have seen advancements in laser applications that our original laser pioneers could! have only imagined,” said Peter Baker, Executive Director of LIA. “There has been amazing progress in medical laser applications, as well as the development of more reliable and lower-cost lasers for manufacturing. With this rapid growth came an increased demand for laser safety training.”Today, LIA trains more Laser Safety Officers than any other organization in the world. With the goal of making laser safety education more accessible, LIA has made training available in the classroom, online, or even on-site at a facility. To further enhance LIA’s mission of fostering lasers, laser applications, and laser safety worldwide, it serves as the secretariat and publisher of the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) Z136 series of laser safety standards. These standards constitute the foundation of laser safety programs nationwide. Gaining a global ! perspective has become increasingly important as LIA has expanded in its role as the international society for laser applications and safety. The first International Congress on Applications of Lasers & Electro-Optics (ICALEO®) was held in 1981. From its inception, ICALEO® has focused on laser materials processing and is now viewed as the premier source of technical information in the field. The worldwide initiative continued with the formation of the Pacific International Conference on Lasers and Optics (PICALO) in 2004, which was recently held in Beijing with record-breaking attendance. To meet the growing need for certified laser safety professionals in the workplace, the Board of Laser Safety was formed in 2002 as a nonprofit organization affiliated with LIA. It offers two types of certification, which are Certified Laser Safety Officer and Certified Medical Laser Safety Officer. Falling in line with the overall goal of keeping the workplace safe from hazards associated with lasers, LI! A formed an alliance with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) in 2005. The future looks bright for LIA, as laser applications become more versatile and global visibility for the organization increases. Demand from Europe and China continues to rise and is certainly at the forefront of future growth initiatives. As a result of LIA’s unwavering dedication to the laser industry, it continues to be the world’s leading authority on laser applications and safety—four decades since its inception.
Laser Institute of America (LIA) is the international society for laser applications and safety serving the industrial, educational, medical, research and government communities throughout the world since 1968. LIA is the secretariat and publisher of the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) Z136 series of laser safety standards. For more information, visit http://www.laserinstitute.org/.

Contact: Jim Naugle 407.380.1553 JNaugle@laserinstitute.org