Laser has been a controversial topic from its first creation in the world. All people are paying high attention to laser hazards and safety of laser operation. Laser danger is no longer as horrible as we have thought on condition that we have got a general understanding of laser safety knowledge.
Laser is an indispensible part in optical, scientific, laboratory experiment, military and medical treatment etc. As well as those of easily available laser pointer and portable lasers, more and more industrial lasers are in need to bring more convenience and great process in high tech development. This is just the result and fact of modern time high tech development and nobody are able to prevent this intendancy.
With the wide spread of lasers around us, laser safety has becoming a key point for anybody who can keep in touch with it.
Anybody who is holding a astronomy laser pointer should never stare at the laser beam or spot, and never try to abuse it unless authorized operation.
Laser radiation predominantly causes injury via thermal effects. There are just relatively small amounts of laser light can lead to permanent eye injuries. For instance, moderate and high power lasers are potentially hazardous because they can burn the retina of the eye, or even the skin. Low powered lasers less than 50mW has no hazard to human eyes or skins even though a direct watching or staring.
Sufficiently powerful lasers in the visible light will penetrate the eyeball and may cause heating of the retina. Infrared laser are especially dangerous since human eyes has no reaction and response to invisible beam. People may not feel pain or notice immediate damage to their eyesight even they are exposed to high power infrared lasers. Terrible retina damage might be occurred without indication.
Safety measures of laser operation:
A series of safety measures has been made to control the risk of laser injury. For example, ANSI Z136 in the US and IEC 60825 internationally have defined the “classes” of laser depending on their output power and wavelength. People will know the required safety measures of operation different class lasers. All lasers are labeled with specific warning symbols on basis of laser classes.
The following guidelines have listed the laser safety knowledge:
● Any minority should be prohibited to own or use a laser separately with no supervision. The unawareness of laser risks should be always ignored. It is no kidding, but you should especially cautious with invisible infrared laser pointers.
● Adequate eye protection should be always required for everyone holding a laser pointer up 50mW. Any thermal damage to eyes might be occurred to human eyes with a higher powered laser. A pair of laser safety goggles is always a necessity to high powered laser owners.
● Any pointing and reflection of laser light would be hazardous to human eyes. Never try to stare at lasers or point at air craft, moving vehicles, and human or animal eyes or skins.