Last year, a JetBlue pilot suffered a minor eye injury when a green laser shone through the plane’s windshield according to the FAA. There have been about 1,500 laser/aircraft incidents reported to the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration between January 1 and June 12 2013. This compares with about 1,384 incidents during the same time span in 2012, 1,326 in 2011, 908 in 2010, and 546 in 2009. In addition to causing temporary vision impairment which, for obvious reasons, is especially dangerous to a person operating an aircraft, lasers can cause permanent damage to sight, including blind spots in their field of vision. Pointing a laser at an aircraft became a federal crime in 2011, with violators subject to an $11,000 fine. According to FAA statistics analyzed by LaserPointerSafety.com
Not only are laser beam dangerous for aircraft pilots, but can also be damaging to people who work with lasers on a daily basis. Because of the strength of a laser beam, technicians are required to operate under certain guidelines when they do their work and they must adhere to certain standards set by the American National Standard Institute.
A laser light beam is very different from normal light because of its monochromatic, coherent and directional properties. Because of these three properties, laser light can be more hazardous than ordinary light and can deposit a significant amount of energy within a small area. Laser beam damage can affect the eyes and/or skin and the damage can be thermal, acoustic or photochemical.
There are different classes of laser hazards:
- Class 1 – Safe if not dissembled
- Class 1M – Safe for all conditions except when passed through magnifying optics such as microscopes and telescopes
- Class 2 – Eye hazard if you stare directly into the beam
- Class 2M – Safe if not viewed through optical instruments
- Class 3R – Considered safe with restricted beam viewing
- Class 3b – Eye hazard if direct or reflected beam is viewed
- Class 4 – Eye hazard if direct, reflected or diffusely – reflected beam is viewed; possible skin and fire hazard, in addition to potentially devastating and permanent eye damage
According to a study done by the Rockwell Laser Industries, the top 14 reported causes of laser related injuries are:
- Unanticipated eye exposure during alignment.
- Misaligned optics and upwardly directed beams.
- Available laser eye protection was not used.
- Equipment malfunction.
- Improper method of handling high voltage.
- Intentional exposure of unprotected persons.
- Operators unfamiliar with laser equipment.
- No protection provided for associated hazards.
- Improper restoration of equipment following servicing.
- Incorrect eyewear selection and/or eyewear failure.
- Accidental eye/skin exposure during normal use.
- Inhalation of laser-generated fume or viewing of secondary radiation (UV, blue light).
- Laser ignition of fires.
- Photochemical eye or skin exposure.
The Laser Institute of America states that there are a variety of laser safety standards including Federal and state regulations, and non-regulatory standards. The most important and most often quoted is the American National Standards Institute's Z136 series of laser safety standards. These standards are the foundation of laser safety programs in industry, medicine, research, and government. The ANSI Z136 series of laser safety standards are referenced by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and many U.S. states as the basis of evaluating laser-related occupational safety issues.
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