Selling a new toy and need advice.

I am interested in selling a toy/product which will include a laser-pointer as part of the product. My biggest question at this point is knowing what my power limits are in terms of FDA and/or CPSC.... All of my sources are pointing towards a Class-2 laser, but I've had a few "product testing" companies say I'd be totally fine selling a Class-3b laser.

Any suggestions and/or advice here?

Thanks guys!

T

tommytime555 said:

I am interested in selling a toy/product which will include a laser-pointer as part of the product. My biggest question at this point is knowing what my power limits are in terms of FDA and/or CPSC.... All of my sources are pointing towards a Class-2 laser, but I've had a few "product testing" companies say I'd be totally fine selling a Class-3b laser.

Any suggestions and/or advice here?

Thanks guys!

T

Click to expand...

Here in the US the legal limit would be anything genuinely <5mW, however if this is a toy young children will play with I would go with <1mW. A laser under 5mW may be eye safe for adults who aren't idiots but I don't know I would trust a young child to not point it in their eye or someone else's eye or at a mirror etc. I have a nice pen type laser that is <1mW and it still makes a nice red dot even at a good distance but it's nothing real impressive.

We certainly don't want the CPSC taking interest in a product that is unsafe because it has a laser in it. As far as FDA goes anything <5mW is ok, as far as I know the only other government agencies that have any regulations about lasers are the FAA and OSHA and they don't apply in this case.

Please be aware I am not giving legal advice nor am I qualified to do so.

One more thing, if this was to be exported, it would have to be under 1mW for some countries.

Alan