December 12-- David H. Sliney, Ph.D., program manager for the U.S. Army Center for Health Promotion and Preventive Medicine Laser/Optical Radiation Program, APG, Md., received the 24th Arthur L. Schawlow Award from the Laser Institute of America (LIA) during ICALEO 2005, which was held in October.
The award is in recognition and appreciation of Dr. Sliney's extensive contributions as a pioneering leader in the field of laser safety for more than 30 years and as one of LIA's most valuable supporters. His work has been the driving force behind rational science-based laser safetey standards both nationally and internationally. The safety levels found in contemporary standards resulted in part from his tireless efforts as a member of the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP), the ANSI Z136 committee, and the IEC committees so that through his activities the resulting standards are in harmony and accepted throughout the world.
The award is also in recognition of Sliney's activity regarding the establishment of health and safety standards for protection of the eye and skin from lasers and high-intensity optical sources since 1965 where he proposed the first laser exposure limits for the Army Surgeon General's Office, and where he also played a key role in the development of the first threshold limit value exposure limits for laser radiation, for ultraviolet radiation, and for visible and infrared radiation. The significant role Sliney played in the development of the maximum permissible exposure limits for laser radiation culminated in the first ANSI Z136.1 standard in 1973.