Anyone working with Class 3B or Class 4 display lasers should undertake a iosh approved display laser safety officer course. This course isn’t simply a box ticking exercise, Class 3B and Class 4 lasers are dangerous, the power in their beam can cause instant and permanent eye damage and skin burns when misused.
This isn’t a theoretical “can”, it has happened many times all over the world, people living the rest of their lives with their eyes damaged because someone allowed a high power laser to hit them without proper safety precautions. The proliferation of high power display lasers for sale, from all sorts of dodgy vendors, may make it seem that these are safe to use devices, but they are not and you need to study what makes them dangerous and how to use them safely to ensure that you comply with regulations and so you don’t permanently injure someone (or yourself) when you put one into use.
This section of the website has a UK bias because I am based in the United Kingdom, but also covers regulations in the US and Europe and is based on my undertaking the iosh course. It is part notes back to myself and part making them available to others to encourage them to see the benefits in becoming a certified display laser safety officer.
The iosh display laser safety officer certification satisfies the training requirements specified by:
- ANSI Z136
- EN60825
- PLASA Safety of Display Lasers
“My country doesn’t have laser regulations”
Do you live in a region of the world where you don’t have regulations covering the use of display lasers? Don’t kid yourself that none of this applies to you. Just because your authorities haven’t bothered to regulate doesn’t mean lasers are somehow safe to use however you wish in your country, you can still easily injure your audiences just the same as here! OK so you may not be able to be prosecuted for it, but you’ll have to live the rest of your life knowing what you’ve done.
