Orlando, FL – July 26, 2011 – No one wishes to see their friends or loved ones lose their eyesight. Precautions are taken daily to protect ourselves from danger. We wear safety glasses when using power tools in the yard or workshop. We watch for others and keep children away from these working areas. By and large, these hazards are recognized and we are taught how to deal with them as part of growing up.
Today, we are faced with a new danger to that eyesight—one that is not yet recognized as an immediate threat or danger—the high-power laser pointer. Continue reading →
The development of technology has resulted in fast penetration of LEDs into a wide range of consumer products, including toys. The significant increase of optical output and expansion of the emission wavelength range, from ultraviolet to infrared, raised a concern about optical radiation safety of LED use in toys and led to the development of a methodology to assess the safety of the LED. The simplified approach is based on LED photometric characteristics from datasheets and avoids the need for additional complex measurements. Continue reading →
Figure 1. Laser show circular pattern passing over the two “eyes” of the detector
Lasers have been used in live entertainment since the 1970s to make the overall experience more spectacular for the audience. To form visual effects, a moving high power laser beam is required, obtained by moving the laser beam by computer-controlled galvanometers. Many laser display companies wish to direct laser beams towards the audience – so-called audience scanning. However, some scan patterns require the same location to be repeatedly scanned, which may lead to the potential for injury, particularly to the eye, where a person receives a burst of laser pulses as the pattern passes across the face. IEC/TR 60825-3, “Safety of laser products – Part 3: Guidance for laser displays and shows” [1], provides guidance with recommendations for safety on the planning and design, set-up and conduct of laser shows that use high power lasers. These guidelines contain safety criteria for the protection of the public and persons in the vicinity of laser shows. If the guidelines are not followed, the likelihood of injury is increased. Although safety of laser shows is increasingly better appreciated, every year a few suspected eye injuries are reported. Continue reading →
