Laser Safety for Line Lasers: Regulations & Practical Guidance

Through our many years of work in the field of laser safety, as well as my regular training courses as a lecturer on laser safety, it is very important to me to reduce the perceived hazards associated with laser products such as line lasers or cross-line lasers used for workplace visualization, while at the same time increasing awareness of laser safety. In fact, it is not particularly difficult to operate even powerful lasers with an output of 100 mW safely in accordance with occupational safety regulations. Since the publication of the TROS in 2015, line lasers may be regarded as so-called "extended sources", which is also physically appropriate. The previous approach of treating them uniformly as conventional laser sources is, due to their large angular extent compared with point laser modules, not entirely appropriate. A line laser does not produce a small spot on the retina, but rather an elongated, rectangular image, which significantly reduces the power density at the point of exposure.

About Me – Dirk Baur

My name is Dirk Baur. I am the Managing Director of MediaLas Electronics as well as a lecturer and instructor in the fields of laser safety and laser safety officer training. Over the coming period, I will use this blog to provide you with important information about current regulations and requirements. These have improved significantly in recent years and have been defined much more precisely, as reflected in the OStrV and TROS. Since 1996, I have been conducting seminars and advanced training courses, both independently and on behalf of other organizations, for participants seeking the required specialist knowledge to become laser safety officers. These courses can also be held directly at your own premises. Enquiries and bookings can be made via the contact page of our online shop or via www.medialas.de.

Laser Safety and Laser Power of Line Lasers

As a general rule, the higher the output power of a laser, the brighter it becomes. At the same time, however, the potential risk posed by the laser to the operator or observer of the laser line also increases. The objective must always be to prevent a potential hazard or accident that could result in eye injury before it can occur. With almost all of our line lasers, this can be achieved using relatively simple measures. The frequently repeated assumption that only line lasers with an output power of 1 mW, or according to some sources 5 mW, are permissible is incorrect. In our blog, we explain why this is the case.