Laser Safety and Eye Protection

One of many applications for lasers is a laser mouse.

There are several different classes of lasers, and they all pose different levels of danger to the eye. These range from lasers that do not harm the eye to lasers that can do immediate damage to the eye.

Lasers That Do Not Generally Harm the Eyes Under Normal Use

According to the Material Safety Data Sheet, lasers in class 1, class 1M, class 2, and class 2M are generally not harmful to the eyes. Therefore, they should not require eye protection while being used. However, if these lasers are deliberately shined into the eye, they can cause eye damage. These include lasers such as those in laser printers.

Lasers That Can Harm the Eyes Under Normal Use

The Material Safety Data Sheet states that lasers from class 3R, 3B, and 4 carry a higher risk of eye damage. Class 3R and class 3B are less likely to cause damage, but caution should be used. Class 4 lasers are extremely dangerous. These include lasers such as laser pointers or those used in laser surgery.

Laser Eye Protection

All About Eye Safety describes the process for selecting laser eye protection. Lasers can be classified by the wavelength of light that they are composed of. The protective goggles are selected based on the wavelength of laser that is being used and on the maximum amount of laser exposure that is expected to be encountered. Most employers will provide the appropriate laser eye protection for each job.

References

• Material Safety Data Sheet: Laser Classification
• All About Eye Safety: Laser Safety
• Princeton.edu: Laser Classification

Resources

• OSHA: Laser Hazards