Laser
Lasers are now widely used in our everyday lives. They can be found at home, at work and are used for a wide range of applications. Lasers are a valuable scientific tool in materials, pharmaceutical and forensic science, and play an important role in the medical and industrial sectors. Lasers are also used for entertainment purposes because of their spectacular appearance.
At home, lasers are found in many modern devices, such as line lasers for construction work, rangefinders, alignment lasers for saws and drills, laser printers and DVD and Blu-Ray® players. In many consumer devices, the laser is enclosed inside the device so that the laser beam cannot reach the outside of the device. Consumer lasers are not powerful enough to be dangerous.
The power of professional laser equipment is not limited, and they can be dangerous, especially to the eyes. The danger of laser radiation is because lasers can focus large amounts of radiation energy and power on a very small spot. The power of laser radiation attenuates very slowly with increasing distance.
Laser radiation does not penetrate deep into the tissue, which is why the adverse effects consist of damage to the skin and different parts of the eye. A beam hitting the eye can be dangerous. A strong laser beam accidentally hitting the eye or skin can cause permanent injuries. A laser beam that hits the eye can cause permanent damage to the retina because the laser beam is focused on the retina in an extremely small spot. A large amount of energy then hits this point, burning the retinal cells so severely that they are unable to recover. Lasers operating in the visible light and near-infrared wavelengths can cause permanent retinal damage to the eye.
A laser beam classified as safe can cause temporary disturbances of vision such as glare, flash blindness and afterimages when it hits the eye. Even a low-power laser beam from a class 1 laser device can cause temporary visual disturbances.
In glare, the light source is so bright that it prevents you from seeing the details next to the light source. In flash blindness, the radiation entering the eye is so strong that the vision is overloaded, and the eye is blind from a few seconds to minutes until the eye recovers from the overload. An afterimage refers to a visual disturbance at the point of exposure, which appears as a bright, dark or colorful spot or pattern. Afterimages do not necessarily hinder vision, but they can take from minutes to a few days to disappear. With age, sensitivity to glare increases and recovery from temporary visual disturbances slows down.
An important safety requirement is that the laser beam must not be directed at yourself or other people. When using laser devices, you must follow their installation and operating instructions as well as other safety regulations.
Laser devices are divided into different safety classes by numbering them in such a way that the danger of the device increases with increasing serial number: 1, 1M, 1C, 2, 2M, 3R, 3B and 4. Class 1 devices are considered harmless, while class 4 lasers can cause severe eye and skin injuries. The laser class depends on the power and energy of the laser, wavelength, pulse length and other factors. Therefore, no single power limit can be given for different laser classes.
Class 1
The radiation emitted by a Class 1 laser does not pose a hazard and no protective measures are required under normal operating conditions, even for long exposure times. Class 1 also includes devices where the laser beam is embedded inside the device, such as laser printers and CD and DVD players. These so-called enclosed devices may contain a laser of a higher safety class and therefore their instructions for use must contain a warning that the protective case or part of it must not be opened.
Class 1M
Class 1M lasers have a large beam diameter. This means that only part of the total laser beam can enter the eye and the laser beam is safe for the naked eye. The beam can be dangerous to the eye if the beam is viewed through a magnifying optical aid such as binoculars, telescopes or magnifying glasses. The letter M in the category marking stands for "magnification", which refers to the use of magnifying optics.
Class 1C
Class 1C devices are safe for the eyes, but the laser beam to the skin may exceed the skin exposure limits and cause skin damage. The letter C refers to the word "contact". The devices are used for skin treatment, such as hair removal.
Class 2
Class 2 lasers operate in the wavelength range of visible light. In normal use, the eye protection reflex protects the eye. A class 2 laser can pose a risk of eye damage if you deliberately look into the beam for a prolonged time.
Class 2M
Class 2M lasers operate in the visible light wavelength range like class 2 lasers. The class 2M laser has a large beam diameter and the eye protection reflex protects the eye under normal conditions. A class 2M laser beam can cause a risk of eye damage if the beam is deliberately looked at for a prolonged time through magnifying optics.
Class 3R
Class 3R includes lasers whose radiation can exceed five times the limits of class 1 (invisible radiation) and class 2 (visible light) lasers. Class 3R devices can exceed the exposure limits for unprotected eyes and pose a risk of eye damage. However, the probability for damage is small and practically no damage occurs.
Class 3B
The direct and mirror-reflected beam of a class 3B laser can cause eye damage. The higher the laser power, the higher the probability of damage. A high-power class 3B laser can cause minor skin damage. Safety requirements have been set for the occupational use of a class 3B lasers.
Class 4
Class 4 includes lasers whose radiation exceeds the limit values of other classes. There is no upper limit to the power of Class 4 lasers. The beam of a class 4 laser is so powerful that it can burn the skin in an instant. The laser beam is dangerous for the eyes and the eye can be damaged even by diffuse reflection. A high-power laser beam can set materials on fire. Safety requirements have been set for the occupational use of a class 4 lasers.
There are safety requirements for the working use of lasers. The requirements are set out on the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s website:
Occupational Safety and Health Administration
The Occupational Health and Safety Authority is the supervisory authority for the occupational use of lasers.
There have been new requirements for laser devices intended for consumer use in 2022. The requirements have applied to electrical devices containing lasers from May 2022. The requirements regarding battery and battery-powered devices have not yet been published in the official EU journal.
Class 1, 1C and 2 laser devices and some class 3R laser devices are allowed for consumer use. Additional requirements have been given for class 3R laser devices intended for consumer use.
Laser devices that appeal to children must belong to laser class 1.
In addition to the normal laser warning markings, laser devices intended for consumer use must have the marking CONSUMER LASER PRODUCT and a reference for standard EN 50689:2021.
Equipment on the EU market shall meet the applicable safety requirements. When buying equipment from within the EU, this does not create any requirements for the private consumer. If the equipment is ordered from outside the EU, the importer shall be responsible for ensuring that the device meets the EU's safety requirements. This also applies to imports by private individuals.
No license is required for importing lasers. Imported lasers must be safe and meet the applicable requirements. In practice, this means that the laser equipment has been assigned a laser class according to EN 60825-1 and that the device meets the safety requirements specified in this standard. Some devices, such as medical devices and laser machinery, have additional individual device standards.
Laser equipment can be electrical equipment, machinery, or medical equipment. In this case, the import requirements for them are like those for the same product group. Guidance on these can be found on the websites of Tukes, Occupational Safety and Health administration and Valvira. The conformity of the equipment is usually demonstrated by a declaration of conformity and, where appropriate, by a test report drawn up in accordance with the equipment standards, showing that the equipment meets the requirements of the standard.
Additional information:
- Importer's obligations (Tukes)
- Online shopping (Tukes)
- Placing a medical device on the market (Fimea)
- Machinery and equipment (Occupational Safety and Health Administration)
In Finland, the laser pointer laser class may be 1 or 2. The maximum permissible power of the laser pointer is then 1 milliwatt (mW). However, the audio-visual equipment installed as a whole may use slightly more powerful laser pointers. These laser pointers may be class 3R lasers with a maximum power of 5 mW.
Laser pointers with higher power are dangerous, and their import is not permitted.
There are no radiation safety requirements or import restrictions for laser components. When components are assembled to form a functional device, the manufacturer of the device is responsible for the safety of the device.
Laser engravers, cutters and other equipment processing materials with a laser are machines and are subject to requirements applicable to machines. In addition to the general standard EN 60825-1 for laser equipment, they are subject to the SFS-EN ISO 11553 standards for laser processing devices.
Some 3D printers and cutters may be fitted with a laser cutting head as an optional attachment, or the user may wish to attach a laser machining component to the device. When the original device is modified, the person making the change usually becomes the manufacturer of the device who is responsible for ensuring that the device is safe. Laser machining devices are powerful and always potentially dangerous, so special attention should be paid to the safety of the equipment.
Use of lasers at home and in beauty care services. More about lasers used in beauty care services on the beauty care page: Beauty care and sunbeds
The use of high-power lasers in public events, advertisements or other similar events requires a licence from the Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority. For more information, see the laser performances page: Laser performances