Anderco Products
Laser safety eyewear – practical tips and advice
The unprotected human eye is extremely sensitive to laser radiation and can be permanently damaged from direct or reflected beams. The extent of occular damage is determined by the laser irradiance, exposure duration and beam size. As laser retinal burns may be painless and the damaging beam sometimes invisible, maximal care should be taken to provide adequate eye protection.
What controls apply?
The European Directive on PPE (Directive 89/686/EEC and amendments). This directs us to EN207 and EN208.
Protective Eyewear
Protective eyewear – in the form of goggles, glasses and shields – provides the principal means to ensure against ocular injury. Laser safety eyewear (LSE) is designed to reduce the amount of incident light of specific wavelengths to safe levels, while transmitting sufficient light for good vision. Each laser requires a specific type of protective eyewear and the factors that must be considered during selection are:
- Laser wavelength and peak irradiance.
- Optical density
- Visual Transmittance
- Field of view
- Effects on colour vision
- Absence of irreversible bleaching of the filter
- Impact resistance
- Comfort
Practical Tips in Laser Eye Safety
- In general, laser eye protection should be selected based on how well it will protect the eye against the maximum exposure anticipated for a particular wavelength and viewing duration. At the same time, the greatest amount of light possible should be able to enter the eye to ensure proper sight.
- For each laser emission, the selected eyewear must be able to withstand and exposure for 10 seconds (cw) or 100 pulses (pulsed lasers).
- The selected eyewear is required to be tested against the appropriate standard and display the CE mark and required L-rating.
- The standards apply to the frame as well as the eyewear filters, so the L-rating must apply to the complete spectacle or goggle.
- As laser safety eyewear often looks alike in style and colour, it is important to check the wavelength and optical density printed on each pair prior to its use.
- Colour coding of the laser hand piece and eyewear may help to minimise confusion especially in facilities where multiple laser wavelengths are available.
- Laser safety eyewear should not move between laser rooms or be carried in coat pockets between use.
- As laser safety eyewear can be expensive, proper care and handling is advised. The integrity of the eyewear must be inspected regularly since small cracks or loose fitting filters may permit the laser beam to reach the eye directly.
- Laser warning signs must be placed at the entrance to laser operating rooms.
- Access to laser operating rooms should only be granted to individuals who have been educated in laser safety.
How can Anderco Help?
Anderco offers a comprehensive range of dependable, high quality laser protective eyewear:
- Over 50 standard filters (coated glass and polycarbonate)
- 7 frame styles
- Prescription eyewear
- Alignment filters – for safe viewing
All are manufactured, tested and type approved in compliance with the latest European standards.
For advice on the range of laser protective eyewear and safety signs provided by Anderco Safety, contact your Anderco representative on 021 4351600 or 01 8089070.