After I gave the laser certification training this weekend I got to thinking about a possible larger fire in the equipment.
The current procedure is to not open up the enclosure if a fire erupts, stop the laser operation and wait for the fire to subside. (Kind of like a fire in your oven).
We do have some fire blankets to throw onto a burning thing, but I think this is kind of a non optimal solution.
The current next step is to use the dry chemical extinguisher on the column but the mess will be a lot of work to clean up.
In reality I think we should have a medium sized CO2 extinguisher right next to the laser in case something catches fire big time.
I found a 5 pound one on Amazon for $170.
This vote is to get one but I wanted to get peoples opinion before going the Amazon route. I like the idea of getting a new one as I think they need certification but I’m open to suggestions.
Please let me know what you think and we can vote next week.