Penny J. Smalley, RN, CMLSO, MACORN, is an independent nurse consultant and certified medical laser safety officer, with a focus on perioperative safety when working with energy based surgical technologies. Her work includes legislative and regulatory advocacy and consultation on the management of surgical plume, hazard identification and risk assessment, education and training, legal consultation safety audits for compliance with standards, policy development and documentation in healthcare facilities, and extensive participation on national and international consensus standards bodies. 

She served as the Director of Regulatory Affairs and Education, for the International Council on Surgical Plume (ICSP) 2015-2024, and was a founding member of the executive committee of the Surgical Plume Alliance in collaboration with the Association for Perioperative Practice in the United Kingdom.
Current appointments include:  
                Vice Chair - ANSI Z136.3 (American National Standard - Laser Safety in Healthcare)
                Representative for ACORN to AS/NZ 4173 (Healthcare Laser safety in Australia)
                      (task force for Surgical Plume Evacuation guidelines, Ministry of Health and
                       WorkSafe Australia)
                Member of IEC (TC76) Laser Standards (project lead on revision of 60825-TR8)
                Canadian delegate to: ISO (TC121-SC6 Surgical Plume, SC8, SC2 Anaesthesia) 
                Chair, Canadian Standards Association (CSA) – Safe Use of Energy Based Medical
                       and Surgical Devices CSAZ70001:2024

Ms. Smalley has been a contributing  member of international laser and nursing organizations since the 1980s, including ISLSM (first medical/surgical laser society), APALMS, IALMS, AfPP, ACORN, ORNAC, EORNA, IFPN, and AORN.  She is listed in Who’s Who in American Nursing, has published numerous articles and text book chapters, and has taught concepts in laser technology, managing exposure to surgical plume, and development of standards for safety in healthcare, throughout the world.