When and When Not to Wear Goggles?

Hello Everyone,

So I've been reading through a lot of safety threads on the forums and I've seen a similar one popping up saying something like this: "I own a 1W blue laser, can I look at it without goggles?". There have been very mixed answers concerning when it's extremely important to wear goggles and when you do not need to wear goggles.

From my understanding, goggles should be worn all the time unless pointing your laser into the sky or at a non-reflective surface at a distance, but how far away is a distance? I've read a number of times that some people use lasers of up to 500mW in their room, with no goggles. But if you're one of those extra safe people that wears goggles in even the safest conditions, how do you apprecaite your laser?

Any thoughts, opinions and comments of when and when not you wear your goggles would be much appreciated.

Thanks,
Gun

The only time im not wearing glasses is when I point it outside at trees in the woods or into the sky. Only exception to this is I have a place in my house I can point the laser and im unable to see the dot. Makes for viewing the beam indoors without glasses safe. Other than that its glassed all the way!

Oh okay, so would pointing an 100mW green laser 10 metres into a wall, be too close? What is this magical place in your house, what is the surface you're pointing at? Thanks for the info Speedy

Even a 5mW 532 measured on my LPM is uncomfortable to look at on a wall IMO. If I hold the laser out to my side it goes down a hallway and because of where im sitting I cant see the dot. Ir all depends really on the output of the laser and reflectivity of the wall. Something flat black would be safer than shiney white obviously. Since there is no right answer provided the many many variables of each individuals situation its safer to just say you need goggles.

Someone should invent like a poster or surface that shows no dot so you can admire the beam and laser safely. I also had an idea, it would be like a box with a little hole in it. You'd sit your laser somewhere and have the laser shine into the box through the hole. That way you wouldn't see the "dot" of the laser as it is inside of the box

Its called a beam dump or a beam stop. There are a few yhreads around with people mak I ng them out of pvc amd what not.

As for wearing goggles I think that there are various variables to take in consideration.
1. Power of the laser
2. What are you doing with it (burning or just waving it arround).
3. Reflective surface at which the laser is pointed.
4. Reflection angle

Considering this 4 factors I think you can be safe without the goggles in various situations.
For example a 20mw green laser that I have is uncomfortable to look at if reflected on a white wall at let's say 80 degree angle, but reflected at a 30 degree angle to my dark wood roof, the dot just doesn't bother at all.
Now power, a 1w laser, in my case, can be used without goggles just if shined at the sky or at something that is far far away (say 100 feet or more). Otherwise I alway ware goggles.
Burning = goggles

What I do to show others how dangerous a laser can be is to take the lowest powered 532nm I own (25mw at room temp) and aim it WAY down the street flicking it across a reflective sign so they have just a glimpse at how powerful even a cheapo $5 ebay pen can be. The usual reaction is one of "shock and awe". They gain an immediate respect and understanding that these are not "toys"

Thanks for sharing guys