Laser Info

Safety

Why does a <5mW laser pointer require a safety label when a 100W light bulb does not?

Compared with incandescent light bulbs, which draw tens to hundreds of watts (not milliwatts) of power, 5 mW does not sound like very much. But by definition, laser light is highly concentrated into a very narrow beam. Because this light is highly collimated, or concentrated, it spreads out very little. This is why a laser can emit a powerful beam even with very little power behind it.

Imagine focusing all the sun’s light thru a hole less than a millimeter in diameter. Well, that is what a laser does; so it follows that if you were to look directly into the beam of a 5-mW laser at close range—which you definitely should NOT do!—the spot you’d see would appear brighter than the sun.

Common sense

Just like you do not intentionally stare at the sun, and you do not intentionally injure yourself or others with your pocket knife, you should never stare directly into the beam of any laser or point it at anyone’s eyes, regardless of the color or power.

Built-in protection

But what about the case of accidentally flashing the beam across the face of your co-worker, child, or cat? There is something amazing about the eyes of you, your co-workers, your children, and even your cat: the look-away response. Everyone’s eyes have a built-in reflex that causes them to involuntarily look away from something that is so bright as to be potentially dangerous. This means that in order to cause damage with the laser, you would have to intentionally try to do so; kind of like the pocket knife example again.

So what are the labels for?

ALL lasers are subject to federal regulation. OnPoint Lasers, Inc. lasers, along with all other lasers, are regulated by the United States Center for Devices & Radiological Health (CDRH), a division of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). All of our products are subject to inspection by the FDA and are labeled according to the agency’s standards of safety. Please read these definitions carefully to be sure that you and your customers are selecting the proper laser pointer for each environment and purpose. If you do not find the answer to your question here, please call or email us and we will do our best to address your concerns. The CDRH classifies lasers into several different categories depending on output power, wavelength, and fan angle.

Class II – “Caution”
Visible laser light less than 1.0 mW (< 1mW). Lasers labeled Class II are considered eye-safe. Normal exposure to a Class II beam will not cause permanent damage to the retina. When exposed to Class II laser light, the blinking reflex of the human eye is fast enough to avoid any damage. Any Class II-rated laser product can be used in classroom or small presentation settings with confidence.
Class IIIa – “Danger”
Visible light between 1.0 and 5.0 mW. Lasers labeled Class IIIa are considered eye-safe with caution if viewed for less than 0.25 seconds. Sustained focusing of the light into the eye could cause eye damage. Class IIIa lasers products are safe for use by adults in outdoor settings or large auditoriums.

Specs for Techs

Lasers are interesting! Look here often for new information about LASERS!

In The News