Laser Safety
Contents
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General advice on laser safety
- Laser beams are higly concentrated light. In fact, the light is concentrated enough to hurt your eyes. If enough energy is transmitted into your eye, you'll go blind.
- Never EVER look directly into a laser. Just don't do it.
- Depending on the surface a laser beams hits, it can be reflected or refracted, causing stray beams to go in any direction.
- Special laser safe goggles are available. Using them might be the difference between you getting blind and stray beams harmlessly reflecting off your goggles. Even wearing one, you shouldn't look directly into a laser.
- Depending on the energy they carry, laser beams are able to cut through different materials. This includes not only wood and steel, but also human skin, flesh and bones.
- Don't operate lasers in the open. Always put them in an enclosure or a closed room.
- Always put up warning signs. Otherwise, unsuspecting friends and family members might walk in on your high energy laser experiment, let alone catch a stray beam.
Background and Motivation
Cute cartoon with bunnies of a Laser Cutter catching fire and burning down a house.
Cute cartoon of a Laser blinding a cartoon rabbit.
Laser Safety and Localization
Laser Safety in Germany
In germany, laser safety is covered by the 'Arbeitsschutzgesetz' and similar regulations.
Laser Safety in Generic Country
Labeling Requirements
Children
In Generic Country, it is illegal to sell high power laser to children, for unknown reasons.
