Safety first - always wear eye protection!

[K-T]

When dealing with high powered lasers, remember to wear protection/safety googles/glasses. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink2.gif

Vancouver Hospital & Health Sciences Centre has an article online regarding Laser Safety and the Eye!

Sunglasses DON'T provide the filtering needed! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/twakfl.gif

Make sure to get protection googles for the matching wave length you are dealing with! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumbsup.gif

If you don't have any, here are places to get them (in no particular order):

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[*] Roithner Laser
[*] Rockwell Laser Industries
[*] WickedLasers
[*] Laser Vision
[*] LaserMate Group Inc.
[*] Elvex
[*] MWK Industries
[*] Spectronika
[*] KENTEK Eyewear



[/list]

What's your eyesight worth to yourself? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/eek.gif


<font size=1>Please PM or email me with any additional sources for safety googles!</size> /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/rolleye11.gif

 

[Kiessling]

Quoted from another thread:

When you look at a lightbulb, it's image is reversed on your retina. But laserlight is not like the lightbulb. It get's focused by the eye's lens into a hot spot on the retina. And it get's magnified in strength. A green laser is focussed into a pinpoint of heat on the retina that is 100,000 times the strength of the laser. The area of your retina that processes images for your brain is actually really tiny... which is why you can only view a few letters on this message at a time. One hit by a 100mW laser and you will lose the use of that eye forever. The US army describes a 100mW laser as being capable of severe damage at a distance at only 10% of it's strength.



Sigh! Here we go again... ALL Class 3B lasers produce potentially dangerous specular reflections. 5mW green lasers were found to cause tissue destruction in the eye with JUST 60 seconds of exposure - red lasers (of the same wavelength) did not have the same results. Now these are available over the counter in most places!



If there are scientists talking about massive damage from a measly 15 mW and if 50mW is enough to cut plastic and thin rubber, what exactly makes it so hard to understand? Especially when people are constantly warned that these lasers are NOT toys?



http://www.pbase.com/image/52123862/original.jpg

http://www.pbase.com/image/52135235/original.jpg



Most correctly labelled lasers in the Class 3B range have a sticker that clearly states "DANGER". Not "caution". Would you stare at the sun with a magnifying glass in front of your eye? No, you certainly wouldn't! Because you know you'll lose all sight in that eye. A 50mW laser is close enough to sunlight & a magnifying glass if held at arm's length or closer.



Stop being stupid, people. You all know better than this. The evidence is there, the experts are there to warn you. Victims have written about what happenned to them. And the DANGER labels are on the devices when they ship.



I simply can't wait to hear of some CLOWN destroying the use of one of his eyes because he deliberately shone the laser into his eye to prove a point. I mean that. What I DON'T want to read about is how some INNOCENT person lost their eyesight because of the ignorance and massive stupidity of someone else.