With the release of IEC TR 60825: 2004 ‘Safety of Laser products - Part 14: A user’s guide’, laser users at last have international guidance that is up to date and risk assessment based.

The origins of this new technical report (hence the TR prefix) date back to 1998 when, in a totally separate activity to the revision of part 1 standard, the British Standards Institute commissioned a draft revision to laser user guidance. Bryan Tozer (Lasermet), Roy Henderson (Bioptica), Steve Walker (HSE) and Mike Green (Pro Laser) undertook the work to update the material using a risk assessment approach, thereby overcoming the constraints imposed by basing precautions on product classification alone. It is from this draft that these new international guidelines have evolved. The release of part 14 and the imminent withdrawal of section 3 (user’s guide) from EN 60825-1 ‘Safety of Laser Products – Part 1 ‘Equipment classification, requirements and user’s guide’ introduces for the first time an approach to laser safety that is completely in line with that of European workplace legislation.

The new user guidance

The new guidelines are thorough and up to date and users will appreciate a number of useful features and additional explanation including:

Responsibilities for laser safety

The role of the employer, the LSO and the external consultant is clarified. Laser safety training requirements are listed. Note: a LSO is recommended where Class 1M or 2M (collimated beam), 3B, 4 or embedded lasers are used.

Servicing embedded laser products

The procedures for servicing laser equipment are more fully explained. Users of Class 1 laser machines will particularly appreciate the guidance, which includes the design of temporary enclosures, controls during servicing and how to deal with visiting service engineers.

Assessment of laser exposure

A clear explanation of when and how to assess laser exposure by measurement and calculation is provided. In particular, the MPE tables in 60825-1 are presented in a more user-friendly way, separating MPE values for point source viewing (the most common situation) from those for extended source. The explanation of how to calculate MPE has also been improved.

Evaluating risk

Including a simplified risk assessment approach, with considerations of severity of injury that goes beyond simply whether or not the MPE has been exceeded.

Control measures

The section on the implementation of control measures has been updated and expanded. Detailed guidance is provided on such topics as designing interlock systems, options for designing laser-controlled areas, local rules and procedures and how to approach risk reduction.

Laser safety eyewear

The guide includes a detailed description of the process of selecting laser safety eyewear; both filter rating and overall design. It includes an excellent section on the circumstances where eyewear should and should not be used.

Default protective control measures

TR 60825-14 recognises that for the lower classes of laser product (1, 1M, 2, 2M, 3R) the classification scheme provides a reasonable guide in most cases of the potential of the laser to do harm; also that a safe way of working with these lasers can usually be achieved with administrative controls alone (i.e. simple training enforced by warning labels). There are, of course, situations where even these lower classes of laser can give rise to an injury, perhaps through the involvement of untrained people or because of the existence of associated laser hazards or maybe a dazzle-induced injury. For this reason the above are referred to as ‘default’ protective measures i.e. the user is recommended to either implement them in totality or to carry out a risk assessment. However, for Class 3B and Class 4, the user guide offers no alternative to a risk assessment. For these higher classes, where even an accidental exposure to the laser output is likely to result in an injury, the classification scheme has little to offer on the matter and a risk assessment is essential. Without such an assessment, the precautions that would apply to a user of a far infrared 495 mW Class 3B laser would be the same as would apply to a user of a 6 mW Class 3B diode laser operating at 635 nm (red); or, with the additional consideration of fire and skin burns, to a user of an open beam 10 kW Class 4 laser. By adopting a risk assessment approach it is more likely that an appropriate choice of control measures will be made, proportionate to the severity and likelihood of the potential injury.

Pro Laser are leading proponents in the application of risk assessment in the use of lasers and the risk assessment model we advocate is completely consistent to the main approach recommended in 60825-14. So whether for audits of laser or for laser safety training, where we have fully incorporated 60825-14 guidance into our training material (notes and slides), Pro Laser can ensure that you are fully compliant with the recommendations of the latest user guidelines.