As part of our continued celebration of National Safety Month, we are raising awareness on the value of becoming a Certified Medical Laser Safety Officer (CMLSO) with this next blog in the June Laser Safety series. Click here to read about becoming a Certified Laser Safety Officer (CLSO).

Oftentimes the position of medical laser safety officer (MLSO) goes unrewarded, overlooked as long as the individual with that responsibility does the job correctly – after all, done right nothing happens.

Elevate your status by proving your knowledge of laser safety protocols and requirements through certification by the Board of Laser Safety. Whether you are an RN, OR supervisor, or technician with the desire to add to your job designation, MLSO certification will demonstrate your value to the organization that employs you.

“Certification has validated my credibility and allowed me to work with different laser companies to assist in their training programs as well,” said Terri Clark, a Registered Nurse at SpaMedica in Toronto, Canada.

Certification can also help to confirm your employer’s commitment to a safe working environment. One way to avoid workplace accidents is to follow AORN’s Guidelines for Perioperative Practice. Evidence-based guidance for nursing, it not only helps to standardize perioperative practice, but promotes patient and worker safety as well. In the recommendations for personnel working in a laser environment, the guidelines call for a thorough understanding of laser procedures, formal education (medical laser safety AND MLSO), and attainment of certification as a MLSO.

One of your first steps to becoming certified is by taking LIA’s Medical Laser Safety Officer Training. This training meets one of the four requirements to sit for the Certified Medical Laser Safety Officer (CMLSO) exam. For your convenience, this training is available as an online course as well as in the classroom. Education is an essential element of laser safety and LIA is committed to making the opportunity to deepen laser safety knowledge widely available. These MLSO training courses meet the requirements outlined by ANSI, OSHA and The Joint Commission.

To obtain certification, you must pass the 100-question CMLSO exam, which is based on the 2011 edition of the ANSI Z136.3 Safe Use of Lasers in Health Care standard and covers eight areas of practice related to medical laser safety. You may take the CMLSO exam at a computer-based testing location or by pencil-and-paper following most LIA MLSO classroom courses.

For more information on becoming a CMLSO, visit www.lasersafety.org or call 407-985-3810.