IEC TR 60825-14:2004

Safety of laser products - Part 14: A user's guide

This technical report provides guidance on best practice in the safe use of laser products that conform to IEC 60825-1. The terms "laser product" and "laser equipment" as used in this document also refer to any device, assembly or system, which is capable of emitting optical radiation produced by a process of stimulated emission. However, unlike IEC 60825-1, this document does not cover light-emitting diodes (LEDs). Class 1 laser products normally pose no hazard and Class 2 laser products present only a minimal hazard. With these products, it is normally sufficient to follow the warnings on the product labels and the manufacturer's instructions for safe use. Further protective measures as described in this document should not be necessary. This document emphasizes evaluation of the risk from higher power lasers, but the users of the lower power lasers may benefit from the information contained. This technical report can be applied to the use of any product that incorporates a laser, whether or not it is sold or offered for sale. Therefore, it applies to specially constructed lasers (including experimental and prototype systems). This technical report is intended to help laser users and their employers to understand the general principles of safety management (Clause 3), to identify the hazards that may be present (Clauses 4 to 6), to assess the risks of harm that may arise (Clause 7), and to set up and maintain appropriate control measures (Clauses 8 to 11). Reference is made in this document to laser "users". This should be taken to include persons having responsibility for safety in addition to those who actually work with or operate laser equipment.

General Information

• Status: Published
• Publication Date: 24-Feb-2004
• ICS: 01 - GENERALITIES. TERMINOLOGY. STANDARDIZATION. DOCUMENTATION
• ICS: 31.260 - Optoelectronics. Laser equipment
• Technical Committee: TC 76 - Optical radiation safety and laser equipment
• Drafting Committee: WG 8 - TC 76/WG 8
• Current Stage: DELPUB - Deleted Publication
• Start Date: 26-Jul-2019
• Completion Date: 25-Mar-2022

Relations

• Replaces: IEC TR 60825-9:1999 - Safety of laser products - Part 9: Compilation of maximum permissible exposure to incoherent optical radiation
• Effective Date: 05-Sep-2023
• Revised: IEC TR 60825-14:2022 - Safety of laser products - Part 14: A user's guide
• Effective Date: 05-Sep-2023

Standards Content (Sample)

TECHNICAL IEC
REPORT TR 60825-14
First edition
2004-02
Safety of laser products –
Part 14:
A user's guide
Reference number
IEC/TR 60825-14:2004(E)
Publication numbering
As from 1 January 1997 all IEC publications are issued with a designation in the

60000 series. For example, IEC 34-1 is now referred to as IEC 60034-1.

Consolidated editions
The IEC is now publishing consolidated versions of its publications. For example,

edition numbers 1.0, 1.1 and 1.2 refer, respectively, to the base publication, the

base publication incorporating amendment 1 and the base publication incorporating

amendments 1 and 2.
Further information on IEC publications
The technical content of IEC publications is kept under constant review by the IEC,
thus ensuring that the content reflects current technology. Information relating to
this publication, including its validity, is available in the IEC Catalogue of
publications (see below) in addition to new editions, amendments and corrigenda.
Information on the subjects under consideration and work in progress undertaken
by the technical committee which has prepared this publication, as well as the list
of publications issued, is also available from the following:
• IEC Web Site (www.iec.ch)
• Catalogue of IEC publications
The on-line catalogue on the IEC web site (www.iec.ch/searchpub) enables you to
search by a variety of criteria including text searches, technical committees
and date of publication. On-line information is also available on recently issued
publications, withdrawn and replaced publications, as well as corrigenda.
• IEC Just Published
This summary of recently issued publications (www.iec.ch/online_news/ justpub)
is also available by email. Please contact the Customer Service Centre (see
below) for further information.
• Customer Service Centre
If you have any questions regarding this publication or need further assistance,
please contact the Customer Service Centre:

Email: [e-mail]
Tel: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
TECHNICAL IEC
REPORT TR 60825-14
First edition
2004-02
Safety of laser products –
Part 14:
A user's guide
 IEC 2004  Copyright - all rights reserved
No part of this publication may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or
mechanical, including photocopying and microfilm, without permission in writing from the publisher.
International Electrotechnical Commission, 3, rue de Varembé, PO Box 131, CH-1211 Geneva 20, Switzerland
Telephone: [phone] Telefax: [phone] E-mail: [e-mail] Web: www.iec.ch
PRICE CODE
Commission Electrotechnique Internationale XD

International Electrotechnical Commission
МеждународнаяЭлектротехническаяКомиссия
For price, see current catalogue

– 2 – TR 60825-14  IEC:2004(E)

CONTENTS
FOREWORD.4

INTRODUCTION.6

1 Scope and object.7

2 Terms and definitions .8

3 Administrative policies.16

3.1 Safety responsibilities.16

3.2 Competent persons.17

3.3 Laser Safety Officer .17
3.4 Information and training.18
4 Laser radiation hazards .19
4.1 Laser products.19
4.2 Exposure to laser radiation.23
4.3 Determining the level of laser exposure.23
5 Determining the maximum permissible exposure (MPE) .28
5.1 General remarks.28
5.2 Repetitively pulsed or modulated lasers .28
5.3 Multiple wavelengths.29
5.4 Extended source MPEs.30
5.5 Hazard distance and hazard area .30
6 Associated hazards.31
6.1 Additional health hazards .31
6.2 Hazards arising from the laser.32
6.3 Hazards arising from the environment .33
6.4 Control of associated hazards .34
7 Evaluating risk.35
7.1 Hazards and risks.35
7.2 Risk assessment: Stage 1 – Identifying potentially injurious situations. .35
7.3 Risk assessment: Stage 2 – Assessing risk for potentially injurious situations. .36
7.4 Risk assessment: Stage 3 – Selecting control measures .38
8 Control measures.38
8.1 General.38
8.2 Hazard reduction.39

8.3 Enclosing the hazard.39
8.4 Hazard mitigation.41
8.5 Equipment servicing.46
9 Maintenance of safe operation.47
10 Incident reporting and accident investigation .48
11 Medical surveillance.48

Annex A (informative) Examples of interlock systems for laser controlled areas.54
Annex B (informative) Examples of calculations .59
Annex C (informative) Biophysical considerations .82

Bibliography.92

TR 60825-14  IEC:2004(E) – 3 –

Figure 1 – Laser hazard symbol.18

Figure 2a – Measurement set-up using a lens.26

Figure 2b – Direct measurement set-up .27

Figure 2 – Measurement set-ups.27

Figure A.1 – Purpose of an interlock system .56

Figure A.2 – Non-locking interlock system .57

Figure A.3 – Locking interlock system.58

Figure B.1 – Laser diode array with two groupings.76

Figure C.1 – Anatomy of the eye.89
Figure C.2 – Diagram of laser-induced damage in biological systems .90

Table 1 – Default protective control measures for laser products .21
Table 2 – The diameter of the limiting aperture applicable to measurements of
irradiance and radiant exposure (t is the exposure duration) .25
Table 3 – Duration T below which pulse groups are summed up .29
i
Table 4 – Additivity of effects on eye (O) and skin (S) of radiation of different spectral
regions .30
Table 5 – Maximum permissible exposure (MPE) at the cornea for direct exposure to
laser radiation.49
Table 6 – Maximum permissible exposure (MPE) at the cornea for direct exposure to
laser radiation from extended sources in the wavelength range from 400 nm to
1400 nm (retinal hazard region) .50
Table 7 – Maximum permissible exposure (MPE) of skin to laser radiation.51
Table 8 – Correction factors for MPEs .52
Table 9 – Laser controlled areas.53
Table C.1 – Summary of pathological effects associated with excessive exposure to light .84
Table C.2 – Explanation of measurement apertures applied to the MPEs.88

– 4 – TR 60825-14  IEC:2004(E)

INTERNATIONAL ELECTROTECHNICAL COMMISSION

____________
SAFETY OF LASER PRODUCTS –
Part 14: A user's guide
FOREWORD
1) The International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) is a worldwide organization for standardization comprising
all national electrotechnical committees (IEC National Committees). The object of IEC is to promote
international co-operation on all questions concerning standardization in the electrical and electronic fields. To
this end and in addition to other activities, IEC publishes International Standards, Technical Specifications,
Technical Reports, Publicly Available Specifications (PAS) and Guides (hereafter referred to as “IEC
Publication(s)”). Their preparation is entrusted to technical committees; any IEC National Committee interested
in the subject dealt with may participate in this preparatory work. International, governmental and non-
governmental organizations liaising with the IEC also participate in this preparation. IEC collaborates closely
with the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) in accordance with conditions determined by
agreement between the two organizations.
2) The formal decisions or agreements of IEC on technical matters express, as nearly as possible, an international
consensus of opinion on the relevant subjects since each technical committee has representation from all
interested IEC National Committees.
3) IEC Publications have the form of recommendations for international use and are accepted by IEC National
Committees in that sense. While all reasonable efforts are made to ensure that the technical content of IEC
Publications is accurate, IEC cannot be held responsible for the way in which they are used or for any
misinterpretation by any end user.
4) In order to promote international uniformity, IEC National Committees undertake to apply IEC Publications
transparently to the maximum extent possible in their national and regional publications. Any divergence
between any IEC Publication and the corresponding national or regional publication shall be clearly indicated in
the latter.
5) IEC provides no marking procedure to indicate its approval and cannot be rendered responsible for any
equipment declared to be in conformity with an IEC Publication.
6) All users should ensure that they have the latest edition of this publication.
7) No liability shall attach to IEC or its directors, employees, servants or agents including individual experts and
members of its technical committees and IEC National Committees for any personal injury, property damage or
other damage of any nature whatsoever, whether direct or indirect, or for costs (including legal fees) and
expenses arising out of the publication, use of, or reliance upon, this IEC Publication or any other IEC
Publications.
8) Attention is drawn to the Normative references cited in this publication. Use of the referenced publications is
indispensable for the correct application of this publication.
9) Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this IEC Publication may be the subject of
patent rights. IEC shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights.
The main task of IEC technical committees is to prepare International Standards. However, a
technical committee may propose the publication of a technical report when it has collected

data of a different kind from that which is normally published as an International Standard, for
example "state of the art".
IEC 60825-14, which is a technical report, has been prepared by IEC technical committee 76:
Optical radiation safety and laser equipm
...

TECHNICAL IEC
REPORT TR 60825-14
First edition
2004-02
Safety of laser products –
Part 14:
A user's guide
Reference number
IEC/TR 60825-14:2004(E)
Publication numbering
As from 1 January 1997 all IEC publications are issued with a designation in the
60000 series. For example, IEC 34-1 is now referred to as IEC 60034-1.
Consolidated editions
The IEC is now publishing consolidated versions of its publications. For example,
edition numbers 1.0, 1.1 and 1.2 refer, respectively, to the base publication, the
base publication incorporating amendment 1 and the base publication incorporating
amendments 1 and 2.
Further information on IEC publications
The technical content of IEC publications is kept under constant review by the IEC,
thus ensuring that the content reflects current technology. Information relating to
this publication, including its validity, is available in the IEC Catalogue of
publications (see below) in addition to new editions, amendments and corrigenda.
Information on the subjects under consideration and work in progress undertaken
by the technical committee which has prepared this publication, as well as the list
of publications issued, is also available from the following:
• IEC Web Site (www.iec.ch)
• Catalogue of IEC publications
The on-line catalogue on the IEC web site (www.iec.ch/searchpub) enables you to
search by a variety of criteria including text searches, technical committees
and date of publication. On-line information is also available on recently issued
publications, withdrawn and replaced publications, as well as corrigenda.
• IEC Just Published
This summary of recently issued publications (www.iec.ch/online_news/ justpub)
is also available by email. Please contact the Customer Service Centre (see
below) for further information.
• Customer Service Centre
If you have any questions regarding this publication or need further assistance,
please contact the Customer Service Centre:

Email: [e-mail]
Tel: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
TECHNICAL IEC
REPORT TR 60825-14
First edition
2004-02
Safety of laser products –
Part 14:
A user's guide
 IEC 2004  Copyright - all rights reserved
No part of this publication may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or
mechanical, including photocopying and microfilm, without permission in writing from the publisher.
International Electrotechnical Commission, 3, rue de Varembé, PO Box 131, CH-1211 Geneva 20, Switzerland
Telephone: [phone] Telefax: [phone] E-mail: [e-mail] Web: www.iec.ch
PRICE CODE
Commission Electrotechnique Internationale XD

International Electrotechnical Commission
МеждународнаяЭлектротехническаяКомиссия
For price, see current catalogue

– 2 – TR 60825-14  IEC:2004(E)
CONTENTS
FOREWORD.4
INTRODUCTION.6
1 Scope and object.7
2 Terms and definitions .8
3 Administrative policies.16
3.1 Safety responsibilities.16
3.2 Competent persons.17
3.3 Laser Safety Officer .17
3.4 Information and training.18
4 Laser radiation hazards .19
4.1 Laser products.19
4.2 Exposure to laser radiation.23
4.3 Determining the level of laser exposure.23
5 Determining the maximum permissible exposure (MPE) .28
5.1 General remarks.28
5.2 Repetitively pulsed or modulated lasers .28
5.3 Multiple wavelengths.29
5.4 Extended source MPEs.30
5.5 Hazard distance and hazard area .30
6 Associated hazards.31
6.1 Additional health hazards .31
6.2 Hazards arising from the laser.32
6.3 Hazards arising from the environment .33
6.4 Control of associated hazards .34
7 Evaluating risk.35
7.1 Hazards and risks.35
7.2 Risk assessment: Stage 1 – Identifying potentially injurious situations. .35
7.3 Risk assessment: Stage 2 – Assessing risk for potentially injurious situations. .36
7.4 Risk assessment: Stage 3 – Selecting control measures .38
8 Control measures.38
8.1 General.38
8.2 Hazard reduction.39
8.3 Enclosing the hazard.39
8.4 Hazard mitigation.41
8.5 Equipment servicing.46
9 Maintenance of safe operation.47
10 Incident reporting and accident investigation .48
11 Medical surveillance.48

Annex A (informative) Examples of interlock systems for laser controlled areas.54
Annex B (informative) Examples of calculations .59
Annex C (informative) Biophysical considerations .82

Bibliography.92

TR 60825-14  IEC:2004(E) – 3 –

Figure 1 – Laser hazard symbol.18
Figure 2a – Measurement set-up using a lens.26
Figure 2b – Direct measurement set-up .27
Figure 2 – Measurement set-ups.27
Figure A.1 – Purpose of an interlock system .56
Figure A.2 – Non-locking interlock system .57
Figure A.3 – Locking interlock system.58
Figure B.1 – Laser diode array with two groupings.76
Figure C.1 – Anatomy of the eye.89
Figure C.2 – Diagram of laser-induced damage in biological systems .90

Table 1 – Default protective control measures for laser products .21
Table 2 – The diameter of the limiting aperture applicable to measurements of
irradiance and radiant exposure (t is the exposure duration) .25
Table 3 – Duration T below which pulse groups are summed up .29
i
Table 4 – Additivity of effects on eye (O) and skin (S) of radiation of different spectral
regions .30
Table 5 – Maximum permissible exposure (MPE) at the cornea for direct exposure to
laser radiation.49
Table 6 – Maximum permissible exposure (MPE) at the cornea for direct exposure to
laser radiation from extended sources in the wavelength range from 400 nm to
1400 nm (retinal hazard region) .50
Table 7 – Maximum permissible exposure (MPE) of skin to laser radiation.51
Table 8 – Correction factors for MPEs .52
Table 9 – Laser controlled areas.53
Table C.1 – Summary of pathological effects associated with excessive exposure to light .84
Table C.2 – Explanation of measurement apertures applied to the MPEs.88

– 4 – TR 60825-14  IEC:2004(E)
INTERNATIONAL ELECTROTECHNICAL COMMISSION
____________
SAFETY OF LASER PRODUCTS –
Part 14: A user's guide
FOREWORD
1) The International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) is a worldwide organization for standardization comprising
all national electrotechnical committees (IEC National Committees). The object of IEC is to promote
international co-operation on all questions concerning standardization in the electrical and electronic fields. To
this end and in addition to other activities, IEC publishes International Standards, Technical Specifications,
Technical Reports, Publicly Available Specifications (PAS) and Guides (hereafter referred to as “IEC
Publication(s)”). Their preparation is entrusted to technical committees; any IEC National Committee interested
in the subject dealt with may participate in this preparatory work. International, governmental and non-
governmental organizations liaising with the IEC also participate in this preparation. IEC collaborates closely
with the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) in accordance with conditions determined by
agreement between the two organizations.
2) The formal decisions or agreements of IEC on technical matters express, as nearly as possible, an international
consensus of opinion on the relevant subjects since each technical committee has representation from all
interested IEC National Committees.
3) IEC Publications have the form of recommendations for international use and are accepted by IEC National
Committees in that sense. While all reasonable efforts are made to ensure that the technical content of IEC
Publications is accurate, IEC cannot be held responsible for the way in which they are used or for any
misinterpretation by any end user.
4) In order to promote international uniformity, IEC National Committees undertake to apply IEC Publications
transparently to the maximum extent possible in their national and regional publications. Any divergence
between any IEC Publication and the corresponding national or regional publication shall be clearly indicated in
the latter.
5) IEC provides no marking procedure to indicate its approval and cannot be rendered responsible for any
equipment declared to be in conformity with an IEC Publication.
6) All users should ensure that they have the latest edition of this publication.
7) No liability shall attach to IEC or its directors, employees, servants or agents including individual experts and
members of its technical committees and IEC National Committees for any personal injury, property damage or
other damage of any nature whatsoever, whether direct or indirect, or for costs (including legal fees) and
expenses arising out of the publication, use of, or reliance upon, this IEC Publication or any other IEC
Publications.
8) Attention is drawn to the Normative references cited in this publication. Use of the referenced publications is
indispensable for the correct application of this publication.
9) Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this IEC Publication may be the subject of
patent rights. IEC shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights.
The main task of IEC technical committees is to prepare International Standards. However, a
technical committee may propose the publication of a technical report when it has collected
data of a different kind from that which is normally published as an International Standard, for
example "state of the art".
IEC 60825-14, which is a technical report, has been prepared by IEC technical committee 76:
Optical radiation safety and laser equipment.
The text of this technical report is based on the following documents:
Enquiry draft Report on voting
76/271/DTR 76/282/RVC
Full inf
...