and just out of curiosity, has anyone on this forum gone blind in parts of their eyes?.
I haven't admitted this, but I have a 'spot' in my left eye -- and it wasn't even from a laser. It was from a high powered blue narrow-angle Nichia LED in 2002.
I was looking at the die itself under a loupe, to observe the color changes/differences (green vs blue) at barely-operating threshold currents. Bumped two leads of a pot together and it went full power for maybe a second.
Saw a pink spot for a month. It's since turned black - but sometimes when I'm tired it's a pink speck again.
... Keep in mind, this wasn't even a laser. This made me a believer. You can be as careful as you want -- it's the mistakes that you can't even comprehend that'll get you.
Goggles on, then laser on. Laser off, before goggles off.
I also take these precautions:
-Non-FDA compliant lasers are in a lockbox.
-They are stored without batteries. (I have seen Dildas and o-Like new styles turn on, if batteries are in, when unscrewing/tightening the endcap - EVEN if the button isn't pressed)
-Focusable lasers are stored DEFOCUSED, I widen the beam as far as I can before storage to minimize damage if an accidental illumination does happen.
-FDA-Compliant lasers have the keys stored *Separately* from the laser itsef (again, batteries out.)
-If possible, goggles/glasses of the appropriate WL are stored WITH or NEAR the laser itself.
-Each portable laser is in an anti-stat bag as well -- this is not for the laser's protection, let me explain:
The lockbox, storage without batteries, defocusing, and individual statbagging of my portable lasers serves this purpose:
** To make sure that I am _thinking about it_ and _aware_ and _present_ when I am going to turn on a laser. **
The point is to make operation of the lasers as 'non casual' as possible. I have to open a lockbox. I have to remove it from the stat bag. I have to insert the batteries, turn it on, and focus it. (In the case of FDA-compliant, I have to insert the batteries, insert the interlock, turn on the key, open the shutter, and wait 5 seconds.)
This may be annoying to some people, but the procedure required gives me some time to think about an realize the seriousness of these instruments.
Maybe it seems paranoid - but the "LED incident" is what made me decide to not play around with this stuff. It may seem like overkill but I got a "taste" of optical injury, and I do not want more.
Once you get a little, it changes you. I know many people who say "I'm careful - I won't make a mistake."
The point is, most mistakes and accidents happen (not only in lasers, but in HV electrical, construction, etc) when experienced, knowledgeable people think that they "know what they're doing" or have "done this a hundred times without a problem". They get a little lax, or figure they've done it so often tha they don't need the protection. And then "Shit happens" and they aren't protected. And they get injured or worse.
So, yes, there are folks here who have optical damage. I didn't expect it, and I thought I was being careful. From what I understand, I'm not the only one.
(I heard some horrible story about some guy passing a laser into his eyes and seeing 'black spots' when he did it - and then doing it again to 'see if he really saw it' or not... and then again because he 'wondered what was going on'. Each time he was doing that, the black spots he was seeing was him burning his retina. Permanently.)
