Hi, I work in laser safety, saw the thread, wanted to encourage everyone to re-think their eye safety. Postings of eye injuries and permanent damage are saddening, and should be a warning that even smart careful people can catch a beam in the eye under the right circumstances.
For the laser users that are hobbyists or don't use these under an employer, you must establish and self-impose your own safety regimen. This will also protect your friend, spouse, children, neighbors, etc. I know my own tendency is to do the expedient thing, but that approach could get you or someone else hurt.
The ANSI max perrmissible exposure MPE and the power output (Accessible emission limit AEL) for continuous emission visible light is generally designed around an 8 hour work day exposure, a class 1 laser, is considered eyesafe, and is around 40 microwatts. The 0.25 second aversion response to visible bright light can protect you up to a Class 2 visible laser of 1mW. Class 3a visible lasers are mostly safe if collecting optics are used on an expanded beam > 7mm, again for 0.25 second exposure. Class 3a goes up to 5x the class 2 value of 1 mW, or 5mW. Injuries have been reported from class 3a lasers.
OD = log(Power / AEL) or log (XXX mW / 1 mW) which will equate to Class 2 levels of exposure if you use the calculated OD with the laser.
100 mW Red laser
OD = log(100mW/1mW)=log(100) OD=2
For the laser users that are hobbyists or don't use these under an employer, you must establish and self-impose your own safety regimen. This will also protect your friend, spouse, children, neighbors, etc. I know my own tendency is to do the expedient thing, but that approach could get you or someone else hurt.
The ANSI max perrmissible exposure MPE and the power output (Accessible emission limit AEL) for continuous emission visible light is generally designed around an 8 hour work day exposure, a class 1 laser, is considered eyesafe, and is around 40 microwatts. The 0.25 second aversion response to visible bright light can protect you up to a Class 2 visible laser of 1mW. Class 3a visible lasers are mostly safe if collecting optics are used on an expanded beam > 7mm, again for 0.25 second exposure. Class 3a goes up to 5x the class 2 value of 1 mW, or 5mW. Injuries have been reported from class 3a lasers.
OD = log(Power / AEL) or log (XXX mW / 1 mW) which will equate to Class 2 levels of exposure if you use the calculated OD with the laser.
100 mW Red laser
OD = log(100mW/1mW)=log(100) OD=2
