With the introduction of a revised version of EN60825-1:2001 Safety of Laser Products Part 1. Equipment classification, requirements and user's guide, users and laser product manufacturers are only now waking up to the implications of the major amendments to the standard that took effect on 1 January 2001.

The main change to the standard was a revised classification scheme that includes new laser classes, changes to Class 1 Accessible Emission Limits and a major revision in measurement conditions. Class 3A and the so-called 'Class 3B star' disappear, to be replaced by Class 1M, 2M and 3R. Telecom users may like to know that the new scheme also makes Class kx3A defunct.

Raise your caps!

Like the now defunct Class 3A, Classes 1M and 2M lasers are defined as safe for naked eye viewing. Provided focusing optics are not employed, the appropriate MPE for direct ocular exposure will not be exceeded and a warning label informs the user not to view the beam directly with optical instruments.

These lasers also have a so-called power cap and this is where the biggest change is to be found, because whereas Class 3A carried a total output limit of five times the Class 1 or Class 2 AEL (e.g a cw Class 3A visible laser could have a total output of no more than 5 mW), the 'cap' for 1M and 2M is the 3B limit (e.g. 500 mW for a Class 2M laser).

Not surprisingly, this is a cause of concern.

With the old class 3A, the maximum exposure that one could receive if a viewing aid was used would be 5 times the MPE, now the figure could be 500 times, with the risk of a serious injury. Clearly, restrictions on the use of optical viewing aids will have to be enforced with much greater vigilance than before and it is no longer clear that, for example, 1M is safer to use than 2 or even 3R, for which the total output limit is the same as for the old Class 3A.

More information

Whilst the revision of 60825-1 is major, many groups of laser users and manufacturers, in general those using only Class 1, 2 and 4 lasers will be largely unaffected by the changes. However, for other users and manufacturing groups, in particular those involved with high divergence sources, the implications of these changes may be profound.

Pro Laser can assist with reclassification and relabelling of laser products.