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Laser Safety and Program Development
Laser Hazard Evaluation
Laser Hazard Evaluation
Laser hazard evaluation factors include:
Hazard Analysis Calculations
Environment in which the laser is used
Personnel training and awareness
Hazard Analysis Calculations
Any time there is a potential exposure to a class 3b or 4 laser
beam the user must perform a hazard analysis.
The first part of this hazard analysis consists of a series of
calculations that yield a numerical description of the magnitude
of the hazard. This is the lasers capability of causing an injury.
It includes calculations of the following values:
Maximum Permissible Exposure
Optical Density of Eyewear
Nominal Hazard Zone
(Each of these are explained in later slides.)
Hazard Analysis
The second factor in hazard analysis is the environment in
which the laser is used. The hazards present and the controls
required in an industrial setting may be quite different from
those found in a research laboratory.
The third factor to be considered is the nature of the personnel
who operate the laser. Laser hazards are best controlled by
well-trained laser personnel taking responsibility for managing
hazards in the workplace. Personnel with little or no training in
laser safety, such as many student workers, are much more
likely to have laser accidents.
Laser Exposure Limits - Terms
MPE (Maximum Permissible Exposure):
The level of laser light to which a person may be exposed
without risk of injury.
NHZ (Nominal Hazard Zone):
The space within which the potential exposure exceeds the
MPE.
NOHD (Nominal Ocular Hazard Distance):
The distance within which potential intrabeam exposure
exceeds the MPE. Can sometimes be referred to as NHZ
(intrabeam) vs NHZ (diffuse reflective).
Law of Reflection
Angle of Incidence = Angle of Reflection
Specular Surface
Diffuse Reflection Smooth or Rough?
It is in these situations that a NHZ (diffuse reflective)
calculation is required to be performed.
MPE values change for different lasers
operating for different overall exposure times
The times chosen were:
1. 0.25 second: The human aversion time for bright-light stimuli (the blink
reflex). Thus, this becomes the "first line of defense" for unexpected exposure
to some lasers and is the basis of the Class II concept.
2. 10 seconds: The time period chosen by the ANSI Z 136.1 committees
represents the optimum "worst-case" time period for ocular exposures to
infrared (principally near-infrared) laser sources. It was argued that natural
eye motions dominate for periods longer than 10 seconds.
3. 600 seconds: The time period chosen by the ANSI Z 136.1 committees
represents a typical worst-case period for viewing visible diffuse reflections
during tasks such as alignment.
4. 30,000 seconds: The time period that represents a full 1-day (8-hour)
occupational exposure. This results from computing the number of seconds in
8 hours.
MPEs are expressed in irradiance terms (W/cm2) that would be measured
at the cornea. Note that they vary by wavelength and exposure time.
Typical NHZ Values
LASER TYPE
& EXPOSURE
NHZ (m)
INTRABEAM
NHZ (m)DIFFUSE
REFLECTION
CW Nd:YAG
100 W, 10 s
1130
0.80
CW CO2
1000 W, 10 s
1060
0.56
The intrabeam NHZ of a class 4 laser is usually hundreds or
thousands of meters.
The diffuse reflection NHZ is usually a few meters or less.
Protective Eyewear
PPE and Lasers
Protective Eyewear
Laser protective eyewear is intended to protect from
accidental exposure only! It does not protect from intended
viewing of the direct laser beam!
It is intended to reduce the potential ocular exposure to a level
below the applicable maximum permissible exposure (MPE).
Selecting Eye Protection
Determine the maximum irradiance exposure, either through
specular reflections or diffuse radiation, and perform the optical
density calculations based on the worst-case hazard.
Take into consideration the damage threshold of the filter
material.
Choose the eyewear based on wavelength and optical density
and be sure that the damage threshold of the filter material
matches the laser environment.
Optical Density of Laser Safety Eyewear
Optical Density is a mathematical method of describing the ability of a
filter to reduce the intensity of light transmitted. Optical density
numbers represent orders of magnitude or powers of 10. This means
that increasing the OD number by 1 increases the attenuation of the
filter by a factor of 10.
The area used to determine the irradiance of the beam in the optical
density calculation is the area of the limiting aperture. This provides a
worst case OD based on the assumption that the entire beam enters the
eye. If the beam diameter is smaller than the pupil of the eye, the
hazard does not increase. The worst situation is when the largest beam
possible enters the eye. This produces the smallest spot on the retina.
If the laser beam is significantly larger than the pupil, the actual area of
the beam may be used. This will result in a OD that will protect the eye
from the larger beam but will not provide adequate protection if a
smaller beam of the same power enters the eye.
Optical Density of Laser Safety Eyewear
Laser
E0
MPE
Eyewear
OD = log
E0
MPE
l = .488 mm
F = 5W
d = 7 mm
A = 0.4 cm2
E0 = (5W)/(0.4 cm2) = 12.5 W/cm2
OD
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
% Transmission
100%
10%
1%
0.1%
0.01%
0.001%
0.0001%
Given:
MPE = 2.5 x 10-3 W/cm2 (for 0.25 sec.)
OD = log10
12.5 W/cm2
2.5x10-3 W/cm2
OD = 3.7
Eyewear Labels
Eyewear Labels
All eyewear must be labeled with the optical density and
wavelength for which it provides protection. In many cases the
same eyewear will provide a different optical density at different
wavelengths.
Optical Density curves for all eyewear is available from the
manufacturers. In research situations it is sometimes necessary
to use eyewear that is not labeled for the specific wavelengths in
use. In these cases, eyewear data must be available in the
laboratory.
Selecting Eye Protection
High Visual Transmittance
Appropriate for wavelength
Resistance to Fogging
Good Peripheral Vision
Side Shield and Vent Ports
Optical Correction
Resistance to UV Degradation
Comfort
Geek Factor
Laser Hazard Analysis #1:
Class 3b Frequency Doubled CW Nd:YAG
Exposure parameters
Wavelength: 532 nm
Power: 200 mW
Beam diameter*: 1 mm
Beam divergence*: 1 mrad
Exposure time: 0.25 s
Calculated values
MPE: 2.55 mW/cm2
Eyewear OD: 2.31
Intrabeam NOHD: 141 m
Diffuse Reflection NHZ: 5 cm
* Note: All hazard analysis examples use 1/e2 beam diameter and divergence
Laser Hazard Analysis #2:
CW Argon Ion Laser
Exposure parameters
Wavelength: 488 nm
Power: 120 W
Beam diameter*: 1.1 mm
Beam divergence*: 0.6 mrad
Exposure time: 0.25 s
Calculated values
MPE: 2.55 mW/cm2
Eyewear OD: 4.01
Intrabeam NOHD: 1670 m
Diffuse Reflection NHZ: 0.354 m
* Note: All hazard analysis examples use 1/e2 beam diameter and divergence
Laser Hazard Analysis #3:
Q-Switched, Pulsed Nd:YAG Laser
Exposure parameters
Wavelength: 1064 nm
PRF: 10 Hz
Pulse Duration: 10 ns
Energy per Pulse: 1 J
Beam Diameter: 6.4 mm
Beam Divergence: 0.23 mrad
Exposure Time: 10 s
Calculated values
MPE: 1.58 X 10-5 W/cm2
Eyewear OD: 6.22
Intrabeam NOHD: 5520 m
Worst Case Diffuse Reflection
NHZ: 4.49 m
(Peak Power: 10 MW; Average
Power: 10 W)
* Note: All hazard analysis examples use 1/e2 beam diameter and divergence
Free Laser Hazard Analysis Software
Easy Haz hazard analysis software is available for use free on our
web site. This laser hazard analysis tool has been designed to
be easy to use and to provide basic laser hazard information.
The values it will calculate are:
MPE (small source ocular)
OD of eyewear (worst case)
Intrabeam NOHD
Diffuse Reflection NHZ (worst case)
Hazard Evaluation by Laser Users
All users of lasers with exposed beams should:
Understand the hazards associated with the laser they use
Evaluate the control of hazards every time they operate the
lasers
Use their best judgment in controlling all laser hazards (be
conservative; dont take chances)
Consult their Laser Safety Officer whenever they have
safety concerns or questions
Hazard Evaluation by Laser Users
Calculations are only the beginning of a laser hazard evaluation. They allow you to
quantify the hazard so you can more easily understand how it effects the workplace.
To complete the hazard evaluation, the Laser Safety Officer (LSO) must go where the
laser is and examine it in the real work environment.
Then, the LSO must talk to the laser users and make sure they understand the hazards
and the control measures they are to use.
The LSO must also evaluate the written SOP for any procedures requiring access to the
laser beam and determine if all laser users understand it.
Finally, the LSO must use his/her best judgment to assess the risks and determine if
additional or different control measures are needed.
The effective daily control of laser hazards depends on the laser users understanding of
the hazards, following procedures, and making good decisions in controlling laser
hazards.
Non-Beam Hazards
There are additional hazards from lasers that do not involve
the laser beam itself, they are:
Electrical
Chemical
Optical
Explosion
Fire
Non-Beam Hazards - Electrical
Electricity is the most common non-beam hazard.
Watch out for high voltage from power supplies and capacitor
banks.
Use standard electrical safety techniques to prevent injury:
Use one hand when working around power supplies,
capacitors or other electrical equipment
Avoid wearing metallic items
Never handle electrical equipment when hands are wet or
when standing on wet ground
Personnel should be trained in CPR
Liquid cooling equipment should be in secondary
containment
Non-Beam Hazards - Chemical
Organic dyes are a major source of chemical hazard
Mutagenic, carcinogenic, toxic and/or highly reactive chemicals
Gases from laser or interaction of laser with target
Use
standard laboratory safety techniques to prevent injury:
Personal Protective Equipment
Proper chemical storage
Fume hoods
Etc.
Non-Beam Hazards - Optical
UV from laser welding
UV from discharge tubes and pumping lamps
Visible light and IR-A from pumping systems
Use shielding to prevent injury!
Non-Beam Hazards - Explosion
Lamps
Capacitor banks
Static electricity buildup in circulating dye tanks (non-polar
solvents; eg: dioxane)
Use explosion proof housings to prevent injury
Ground wire in tubing for circulating dye
Non-Beam Hazards - Fire
Electrical circuits
Improper beam enclosures
Ignition of gases/fumes from laser
Flammable dyes
Use flame-resistant beam enclosures and check
electrical circuits for safety to prevent injury