Laser Safety Glasses for Class II

[Gamma]

Hello,

Community college teacher here. I was instructed to employ a laser safety program in my intro physics lab. We mainly use Class II lasers that came with the PASCO Optics table and Laser Ray boxes. One of my adjunct faculty uses Purple and green laser pointers which is classified as Class 3a. I have signed up to be trained as LSO and we are now looking for Laser Safety Glasses! All these seems silly, but that's what I was told to do. I am writing to find out from fellow teachers, if this is the case with your labs. Do you use safety goggles with Class 2 lasers? How about Class 3a? I am curious as to what other teachers are doing. Thank you!

Gamma

 

[Andy Resnick]

Hello,

Community college teacher here. I was instructed to employ a laser safety program in my intro physics lab. We mainly use Class II lasers that came with the PASCO Optics table and Laser Ray boxes. One of my adjunct faculty uses Purple and green laser pointers which is classified as Class 3a. I have signed up to be trained as LSO and we are now looking for Laser Safety Glasses! All these seems silly, but that's what I was told to do. I am writing to find out from fellow teachers, if this is the case with your labs. Do you use safety goggles with Class 2 lasers? How about Class 3a? I am curious as to what other teachers are doing. Thank you!

Gamma

Safety goggles are not 'silly', and if you are going to be the LSO, you should know what proper safety precautions are required to be in place. I definitely require use of safety goggles with Class III sources. I would probably not require use of goggles for Class II devices unless the beam is at eye level or not visible (IR or UV source, for example). What would you rather deal with: spending a few hundred dollars on safety equipment now, or an injured student later?

 

[Tom.G]

The US Government has published required Laser safety standards, here are a few links.
https://www.osha.gov/dts/osta/otm/otm_iii/otm_iii_6.html
https://www.osha.gov/SLTC/laserhazards/standards.html

The Laser Institute of America is another source of info. https//www.lia.org

The Laser safety manual used at the Uinversity of California at Santa Barbara is available here:
http://www.ehs.ucsb.edu/files/docs/rs/lasersaftyman.pdf

The above were found using:
https://www.google.com/search?&q=laser+safety+standards

My personal opinion is unless/until an individual is thoroughly trained in and understands the differences between Lasers, and is convinced that Lasers can cause actual damage without warning, and is not going to rationalize with "It will be OK this once," Safety Glasses should be required. Yes, that is a tall order, so are firearms and driving a car.

 

[Stephenk53]

I have no laser experience but personally anything that can cause injury aside from falling backwards in a chair, you should require it even if it is not necessary. I've learned the hard way with other tools that its best to go overkill even if the tool is rarely used with the additional safety since it is not very necessary. Plus if it is college I wouldn't think your students would be very careful, although I have not gone to college yet.