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Establishing industry standards for the laser welding industry
11 September 2026
An article by Ruth Nicholson – Director of Industrial Laser Safety Training
Who doesn’t love a laser to play with? You’ve probably watched YouTube and seen impressive videos of people welding all sorts of metal and getting welding work done in fractions of the time it takes with traditional welding. In the modern world, everyone is looking to make work processes more streamlined, innovative and economical, so why not add some fun to your workplace by adding a laser welder – well, you can, and in fact anyone can sell you one, or you can buy one off the internet, teach yourself, and start using it. However, there are things you should know as a budding laser welder.
Shall we start with the legal requirements first – as a business owner or operator of a laser, you do need to have safety measures in place.
First on the list is that if the person in charge of the business or undertaking (PCBU) is not well informed, they may have no idea about actual risks posed by high-powered hand-held lasers. Laser light poses unique risks, and even highly qualified Health & Safety experts are not always upskilled in this technical topic.
As a minimum, you should know your laser’s classification and the technical specifications of the laser used. Specifically assess the risk to your workers – this determines which controls need to be in place, whether they are adequate, and how they should be monitored and audited.
All operators will require information, training, and instruction – including how to assess PPE, set up a hazard area, implement a laser safety management programme, reduce risk, and more.
The laser hand-held welder will be a Class 4 laser – this relates to the hazard potential for skin, eyes, and fire risk. It also determines which controls need to be in place, whether they are adequate, and how they are monitored and audited.
All staff, visitors and workers should be aware of the hazards associated with a laser welder being used on-site; for example, they can’t just walk through the workspace while the laser is in use. A controlled area must be set up with safety signage.
You should also select an appropriate person, or upskill your current Health & Safety Manager, to become the nominated laser safety officer – or LSO. This requirement relates to the AS/NZS and USA-based (ANSI) laser safety standards; however, the LSO will also advise the PCBU accordingly to reduce risk.
A trained Laser Safety Officer (LSO) can:
• Identify laser-related hazards
• Assess specific laser-related risks to workers
• Assess, monitor and audit laser safety control measures
• Record, monitor and re-evaluate control measures
• Assess trained laser workers and identify knowledge gaps
• Advise the PCBU of any gaps in risk coverage
• Manage laser-related events and incidents
Image: Laser Welding – Direct Specular Reflection
We will soon be releasing an online educational course for laser welders, and as part of this we will include the industry-recommended PPE standards for laser welder use. This information has been peer-reviewed by qualified industry experts. All workers who operate or are going to be trained to operate a laser welder should hold a laser safety certificate; this teaches essential safety information and helps them understand the risks associated with laser light.
Personal protective equipment (PPE) can only be issued and verified if you know what should be used and how to tell if it’s adequate. Information systems for identifying PPE often change and can differ from what the sales rep who sold you the laser recommends or what you’ve seen on the internet.
As a minimum, this should include eye and face protection, protective clothing (the same as you should wear for traditional welding), and respiratory protection for the plume generated by the laser welding process.
Regulations state an extraction system shall be in place; however, it should be adequate to remove the type and degree of generated plume (a known respiratory hazard) from the laser area and be well maintained; otherwise, it is ineffective and a waste of money. Simple extraction fans will be insufficient, and having any unqualified person check the system as adequate is also futile.
Your standard operating procedures (SOPs) need to now include references to how laser use will be used and managed. Additionally, some safety rules should be implemented so that all workers understand the risk of operating a laser welder, as this varies greatly from traditional welding methods.
Resources available to assist you in meeting industry best practices include selected WorkSafe NZ fact sheets, laser safety standards (which need to be purchased), laser education providers who can provide guided information and certification as evidence of formal training in laser as a recognised hazard, and experts such as occupational hygienists and ventilation specialists.
Top tips:
# 1 – Be a well-informed PCBU
# 2 – Conduct laser safety briefings with your team
# 3 – Certify workers in Laser Safety for evidence of training to meet WorkSafe requirements
# 4 – Nominate and train an LSO – to meet AS/NZS and ANSI laser safety standards
# 5 – Provide correct & adequate PPE and ensure it is well maintained, stored correctly and verified as per safety standards and industry best practices
# 6 – Learn more about the relevant AS/NZS or ANSI standards and how to use these technical guidelines to set up a laser safety management programme, and adapt your SOPs
By having all bases covered, you will be able to meet the legal and regulatory requirements, and the workplace will be set to work to industry best practices, which will reduce any incidents of notifiable injury and ill health associated with the direct use of laser welders.
Ruth Nicholson is a trained and certified laser safety officer, has attended International NEBOSH occupational Health and safety training, is an NZQA-certified adult tutor, workplace assessor (4098) and incident investigator. After 15 years of developing industry standards for the healthcare laser industry, her sights are now on assisting industrial laser businesses with keeping their workers safe and ensuring the industry does not experience a regulatory knee-jerk reaction.