Laser Safety Basics
What is a Class 4 laser?
Class 4 lasers are the highest laser classification and are considered the most dangerous. They are characterized by having the highest power output, which can result in severe eye and skin injuries and present a significant fire hazard. These lasers ...
Class 4 Laser Safety: Hazards, Precautions, and Best Practices
Lasers are categorized based on their potential hazards. The classification ranges from Class 1 to Class 4 (highly hazardous). The Laser Institute of America (the secretariat of the ANSI Z136 standards) provides laser classifications here. Key ...
Laser Safety Standards: ANSI vs CE - What's the Difference?
In Laser Safety, there are two primary standards (or norms) that are followed, the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and European Norms (EN), adopted by EU member countries. It should be noted OSHA also plays a role (we comply with both ...
Buyers Guide | Green Laser Safety
Green laser safety glasses typically refer to laser safety eyewear that pertains to lasers falling in the range of 575nm - 495nm. Green lasers are some of the most dangerous as our eyes are the most sensitive to green. It should be noted, two lasers ...
Biological Impacts in Relation to Laser Safety
Different wavelengths along the electromagnetic spectrum impact different parts of the human eye. Furthermore, our eye may not have a reflex built in for direct hits from certain wavelengths (i.e. infrared lasers). For instance, visible light causes ...
Buyer's Guide to Laser Safety Windows
To determine which laser safety window to buy, refer to the following criteria: 1) Wavelength of the laser. 2) Level of Protection. Determine what protection level is needed based on the laser's output. To identify the recommended Optical Density ...
Laser Viewing: Direct vs Diffused
When working with lasers, it's important to understand proper laser safety and the role that Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) plays in keeping yourself and those around you safe. Remember to wear your PPE and check with your laser safety officer ...
Laser Safety Barrier and Curtain Buyer's Guide
Choosing the Right Laser Barrier or Curtain When selecting a laser safety solution, it is important to understand your specific hardware needs and the level of protection required. This guide focuses on two key areas: the differences between 200W and ...
Specifications on all Professional Grade Laser Protective Eyewear
All laser safety glasses and goggles come with the appropriate markings required for proper laser safety. The diagram below illustrates these markings on the eyewear for the wavelength and the optical density (OD) along with our logo. Our CE marked ...
Buyers Guide | What Frame Should I Select for my Eyewear?
We have five general options of frames | Videos and CAD drawings are below: Frame 10 - Fit-over | Our best seller for our polycarbonate glasses (100-10-101 through 100-10-146) Frame 35 - Spectacle | Our best seller for Glass and Dielectric-Coated ...
Buyers Guide | How to Choose Your Laser Safety Glasses
To understand what laser safety glasses to purchase, the most important parameter is your laser's wavelength (or wavelength range). Often, a laser has two wavelengths affiliated with it: The aiming beam wavelength - the aiming beam is typically "eye ...
Visible Light Transmission (VLT) in Relation to Laser Safety Glasses
Buyers Guide | Visible Light Transmission (VLT) in Relations to Laser Safety Glasses Most eyewear offer protection from specific wavelengths and allow other wavelengths in the visible light spectrum to pass through for unhindered vision. Visible ...
Laser Beam Energy Intensity Parameters
In computing how much laser protection you needed, you ultimately need to determine the energy intensity (Power/Area or Energy/Area) and the exposure it needs to be reduced to for that wavelength - known as Maximum Permissible Exposure (MPE). Power ...
How to Read CE Marking Notations
CE marks are only required in countries that have taken the European Norms (EN) and have then gone ahead and adopted those laser safety regulations. This is typically European Union (EU) countries such as Germany. CE markings are not required here in ...
Buyers Guide | Laser Safety Signs and Labels
In the article below, we discuss when signs are necessary, where to post signs, and which laser classifications require signs to adhere to proper laser safety (and ANSI compliant). Where should signs and labels be posted? Proper laser safety says ...
Buyers Guide | What is the Difference Between an Aiming Beam vs and Operating Beam
There are typically two wavelengths associated with a laser: Aiming Beam Wavelength—the aiming beam is typically "eye safe" (depicted in the image below in red) Operating Beam Wavelength—the operating beam requires proper laser safety protection ...
Continuous Wave (CW) Laser vs a Pulsed Laser
Purchasing laser safety protection is impacted by if the laser is continuous or pulsed. Below, we illustrate that although the average power of a laser may be the same, a pulsed laser has peaks that require more protection (as it becomes necessary to ...
Maximum Permissible Exposure (MPE) in Laser Safety
Maximum Permissible Exposure (MPE) can be thought of as a person’s laser safety speed limit . It is the maximum level of laser radiation the human eye or skin can be exposed to without hazardous effects or biological changes. MPE is dependent on the ...
IPL Safety Glasses Buyers Guide
When deciding which intense pulsed light (IPL) safety glasses to purchase, there are several different technical specifications, applications, and filter coverage associated with each pair. In accordance with the American National Standards Institute ...
How to Clean and Care for Your Laser Safety Glasses
Clean, properly maintained laser safety equipment—whether glasses, face shields, windows or more—is essential to working safely with lasers. Damage or disrepair to glasses can reduce their effectiveness and can expose the wearer’s eyes to dangerous ...
Buyers Guide | What is OD (Optical Density) Laser Safety?
Optical Density (OD) in laser safety is the amount of light attenuated[i] by the lens of the particular wavelength that is being measured. The required OD determined by the World Laser Safety in the USA found in ANSI Z136.1 are dependent upon several ...