Hand Pointer

Product Information

Laser pointers used by, for example, professional lecturers in the workplace are considered to fall under this category. Minimum training requirements are specified for operators using lasers of a higher class for these purposes due to the risk of eye injury. Such training should include guidance to the user on the risks from the laser beam and advice not to point the beam at anyone. 7. Laser pointers currently available on the market The misuse of lasers, predominately laser pointers or pens, reported in the press has highlighted concerns over the safety of these devices from a number of perspectives. A consequence of this is that high power devices can present a hazard over considerable distances, often many kilometres. However, there are exceptions to these general points: some lasers produce optical radiation over a wide wavelength spectrum and some produce widely divergent beams.

At home, lasers can be found in many modern appliances such as in computers, laser printers, DVD and Blu-Ray® players. In these appliances the consumer would have no access to the laser in normal use. Class 2M laser products are products which produce beams with a large diameter beam in the wavelength range 400 to 700 nm. Therefore, only a small part of the whole laser beam can enter the eye and this is limited to 1 mW, similar to a Class 2 laser product. However, these products can be harmful to the eye if the beam is viewed using magnifying optical instruments. 5.6 Class 3R The classification system uses the concept of an Accessible Emission Limit ( AEL). An AEL is the maximum value of accessible laser radiation to which an individual could be exposed during the operation of a laser and is dependent on the laser class.Laser pointers have been used as presentational aids by professional trainers for many years, with no reported incidents in the UK. They are usually portable, low powered, battery operated, hand held laser devices. Class 1M laser products are usually products that produce beams with a large diameter. Therefore, only a small part of the whole laser beam can enter the eye. As for a Class 1 laser product, they are safe for the naked eye under reasonably foreseeable conditions of operation. However, these laser products can be harmful to the eye if the beam is viewed using magnifying optical instruments. A user’s guide to the Standard also contains advice to the user of laser products in terms of procedural controls and class-specific training requirements [footnote 2]. In the USA, there is a Federal Performance Standard for Laser Products [footnote 3] which has similar requirements, but there are differences between these 2 documents. If product mislabelling is suspected, or there is doubt over the classification of a product then measurements should be carried out in accordance with the requirements of the British Standard to determine the actual laser class to which the device should be assigned. There is no simple test available to the general public to determine the radiant power of a laser product. A visual inspection of the laser product or its laser output will not provide any indication of the appropriate class for the device. When considering the safety implications of the laser beam an important parameter is the power (in Watts) or energy (in Joules) in the beam divided by the cross-sectional area (in m 2) of the beam. This is called the irradiance and is usually quoted in watts per square metre or W m -2 or radiant exposure usually quoted in J m -2. 3. Laser pointers or laser pens

Class 4 lasers are not designed to be used as laser pointers.; it is recommended that a laser pointer should be no greater than a Class 2 laser product. Devices intended for use by consumers should not be Class 3B or Class 4 laser products. Devices intended for the toy or novelty market can be of different shapes, for example a toy sword. Laser pointers which are larger in size and more importantly have a high power output are very common and inexpensive today. The size of the batteries used in a laser pointer may give some clue to the radiant power. However some laser pointers powered by AAA batteries are still powerful enough to cause life changing eye injuries. 4. Laser safety standards Laser pointers sold in the UK should be classified in accordance with the current British Standard [footnote 1] on laser safety. This document specifies requirements for the manufacturers of laser products to ensure that the risk of accidental exposure is minimised through the use of engineering control features and product labelling, and by specifying minimum requirements for the supply of product information to allow for their safe use. The time taken to recover from these effects will vary for different individuals and will also be dependent on the ambient light level at the time of exposure. Medical attention should only be sought if afterimages persist for hours, or if a disturbance in reading vision is apparent. 8. PHE advice However, Class 1 laser products may contain laser systems of a higher class but there are adequate engineering control measures to ensure that access to the beam is not reasonably likely during normal use. Examples of such products include laser printers and compact disc players. Users of Class 1 laser products are generally exempt from optical radiation hazard controls during normal operation. 5.2 Class 1CThe response of the human eye is wavelength dependent and peaks at around 555 nm, the response decreasing as either end of the visible spectrum is approached (400 nm to 780 nm). As a result, if laser pointers are compared at 3 different wavelengths (670 nm, 635 nm and 532 nm) but at the same radiant power, the brightness as perceived by the eye will be approximately in the ratios 1 : 10 : 30. Class 4 lasers are high power devices, usually needing a mains power supply. Class 4 lasers are used for specific applications in research, medicine and industry. They are also used in as well as the entertainment industry. Historically Class 4 lasers required a mains power supply. However today handheld battery powered Class 4 laser pointers are common. Examples of Class 3R laser products include some laser pointers and some alignment products used for home improvement work. 5.7 Class 3B Class 3B laser products may have an output power of up to 500 mW (half a watt). Class 3B laser products may have sufficient power to cause an eye injury, both from the direct beam and from reflections. The higher the radiant power of the device the greater the risk of injury. Class 3B laser products are therefore considered hazardous to the eye. However, the extent and severity of any eye injury arising from an exposure to the laser beam of a Class 3B laser product will depend upon several factors including the radiant power entering the eye and the duration of the exposure. A laser is assigned to a particular class when the measured emission level exceeds the AEL for all lower laser classes but does not exceed the AEL for the class assigned. For example, a laser will be assigned as a Class 3R laser product when the maximum measured accessible emission level exceeds Class 1, Class 1M, Class 2 and Class 2M AEL values but does not exceed the Class 3R AEL.

PHE advice to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy ( BEIS) for Trading Standards authorities is that if consumer products containing lasers are restricted to Class 1 or Class 2, eye injuries are unlikely to occur. Class 1M, Class 2M and Class 3R laser products may be acceptable for use by consumers where the manufacturer has concluded that the accessible laser beam is necessary for the intended application and has assessed that the risk of eye injury is very low. Although the risk of a permanent eye injury from a laser pointer up to Class 3R may be small, an individual receiving even a transient eye exposure from a laser pointer will experience a bright flash, a dazzling effect, which is likely to cause distraction and temporary loss of vision in the affected eye and possibly afterimages. Therefore, these laser beams should not be pointed at people.When the radiation emitted by a source can be detected by the eye and produces a sensation of vision, it is referred to as light. Lighting devices such as the compact fluorescent, LED or incandescent electric light bulbs produce optical radiation comprising of many different wavelengths. Their light is perceived as white light, and the bulb emits fairly equally in all directions. Lasers are also used in domestic products where the laser can be ‘seen’ such as medical devices, and even toys. Laser pointers or pens have also found their way into the home and are often described as ‘toys’. However, some of these ‘toy laser pens’ have been found to be more powerful than is acceptable for unrestricted use and have the potential to cause eye damage and other harm.