Job Title: Laser Safety Specialist
Location: Redmond, WA (Onsite)
Duration: 6 Months+ Contract (Potential Extension)
Candidate who can work independently without visa sponsorship are applicable
Job Overview
- We are seeking an experienced Laser Safety Specialist (LSO) to support the Global Environmental Health & Safety (EHS) team. This position focuses on ensuring laser and radiation safety compliance across research laboratories and engineering environments. The ideal candidate will have extensive experience with laser safety programs, radiation safety, regulatory compliance, laboratory inspections, hazard analysis, and optical safety standards.
- The role is approximately 80% Laser Safety Officer (LSO) responsibilities and 20% Radiation Safety Officer (RSO) responsibilities. The candidate will work closely with engineering, research, product development, and EHS teams to establish safe work environments involving lasers, LEDs, X-ray equipment, and other radiation sources.
Key Responsibilities
- Perform laboratory inspections to ensure compliance with laser and radiation safety regulations.
- Evaluate equipment purchases and engineering designs involving lasers, LEDs, and X-ray systems.
- Conduct laser hazard assessments, exposure calculations, and optical safety evaluations.
- Develop, review, and approve Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) related to laser and optical safety.
- Ensure compliance with ANSI Z136.1, IEC 60825, IEC 62471, FLPPS, and applicable federal and state regulations.
- Perform power, spectral, and temporal measurements for laser and LED systems.
- Conduct X-ray leakage surveys and verify compliance with CDPH regulations.
- Support radiation safety programs through audits, inspections, and procedural reviews.
- Investigate safety incidents and develop corrective and preventive actions.
- Collaborate with cross-functional engineering, research, and product teams to improve safety processes.
- Review work completed by external laser service providers.
- Support additional Environmental Health & Safety (EHS) programs including laboratory safety, chemical safety, electrical safety, machine guarding, and Lockout/Tagout (LOTO).
- Travel to various laboratory locations including Sunnyvale, Burlingame, Fremont, and Redmond as required.
Required Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree in Physics, Optical Sciences, Engineering, Health Physics, Nuclear Engineering, Nuclear Physics, or a related technical discipline.
- Equivalent experience as a Laser Safety Officer (LSO) or Radiation Safety Officer (RSO) may be considered in lieu of a degree.
- Minimum 5 years of Laser Safety Officer (LSO) experience.
- Experience conducting safety investigations, hazard analysis, or failure analysis.
- Strong understanding of laser, LED, and X-ray safety principles.
- Experience working in engineering, laboratory, research, manufacturing, or product development environments.
- Excellent communication, documentation, and technical report writing skills.
- Ability to work independently in a fast-paced cross-functional environment.
Must-Have Skills
- ANSI Z136.1 – Safe Use of Lasers
- CDPH X-Ray Regulations
- IEC 60825
- IEC 62471
- FLPPS (21 CFR 1040.10/11)
- Laser Hazard Analysis
- Laboratory Safety Audits
- Radiation Safety Compliance
- X-Ray Safety
- Laser Exposure Calculations
- SOP Development
- Incident Investigation
- Cross-functional Collaboration
Preferred Qualifications
- Previous experience as both an LSO and RSO.
- Experience supporting hardware research or manufacturing environments.
- Knowledge of FDA/CDRH FLPPS requirements.
- Experience performing laser calculations including:
- Maximum Permissible Exposure (MPE)
- Nominal Ocular Hazard Distance (NOHD)
- Nominal Hazard Zone (NHZ)
- Experience with FMEA and Fault Tree Analysis.
- Knowledge of RF/EMF safety (FCC and IEEE C95.1).
- Ultrasound safety experience.
- Certified Laser Safety Officer (CLSO) certification preferred.
Nice-to-Have Skills
- FDA/CDRH Reporting
- Import/Export Regulatory Reporting
- Model Change Reporting
- Annual Regulatory Reporting
- Optical Safety Testing
- RF/EMF Safety
- Ultrasound Safety
- Product Safety Validation
- Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA)
- Fault Tree Analysis
- Laser Measurement Instrumentation
