IEC 60825-4:2022
(Main)Safety of laser products - Part 4: Laser guards
Safety of laser products - Part 4: Laser guards
IEC 60825-4:2022 is available as IEC 60825-4:2022 RLV which contains the International Standard and its Redline version, showing all changes of the technical content compared to the previous edition.
IEC 60825-4:2022 deals with basic issues concerning laser guards, including human access, interlocking and labelling, and gives general guidance on the design of protective housings and enclosures for high-power lasers. Laser guards may also comply with standards for laser protective eyewear, but such compliance is not necessarily sufficient to satisfy the requirements of this document. This part of IEC 60825 specifies the requirements for laser guards, permanent and temporary (for example for service), that enclose the process zone of a laser processing machine, and specifications for proprietary laser guards. This document applies to all component parts of a guard including clear (visibly transmitting) screens and viewing windows, panels, laser curtains and walls. In addition, this document indicates
- how to assess and specify the protective properties of a laser guard, and
- how to select a laser guard.
Sécurité des appareils à laser - Part 4: Protecteurs pour lasers
IEC 60825-4:2022 est disponible sous forme de IEC 60825-4:2022 RLV qui contient la Norme internationale et sa version Redline, illustrant les modifications du contenu technique depuis l'édition précédente.
L’IEC 60825-4:2022 traite de questions fondamentales concernant les protecteurs pour laser, y compris l’accès humain, les dispositifs d'interverrouillage et l’étiquetage, et fournit des recommandations générales relatives à la conception de capots et d’enceintes de protection pour les lasers de forte puissance. Les protecteurs pour laser peuvent également être conformes aux normes pour les protecteurs oculaires contre le rayonnement laser, mais une telle conformité n’est pas nécessairement suffisante pour satisfaire aux exigences du présent document. La présente partie de l’IEC 60825 spécifie les exigences relatives aux protecteurs pour laser, permanents et temporaires (par exemple, pour l’entretien), qui protègent la zone de traitement d’une machine à laser, ainsi que les spécifications pour les protecteurs d'origine pour laser. Le présent document s’applique à tous les composants d’un protecteur, y compris les écrans clairs (visiblement transmetteurs) et les fenêtres d’observation, les panneaux, les rideaux pour laser et les parois. De plus, le présent document indique
- comment évaluer et spécifier les propriétés de protection d’un protecteur pour laser, et
- comment sélectionner un protecteur pour laser.
General Information
Standards Content (sample)
IEC 60825-4
Edition 3.0 2022-07
INTERNATIONAL
STANDARD
NORME
INTERNATIONALE
colour
inside
Safety of laser products –
Part 4: Laser guards
Sécurité des appareils à laser –
Partie 4: Protecteurs pour laser
IEC 60825-4:2022-07(en-fr)
---------------------- Page: 1 ----------------------
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IEC 60825-4
Edition 3.0 2022-07
INTERNATIONAL
STANDARD
NORME
INTERNATIONALE
colour
inside
Safety of laser products –
Part 4: Laser guards
Sécurité des appareils à laser –
Partie 4: Protecteurs pour laser
INTERNATIONAL
ELECTROTECHNICAL
COMMISSION
COMMISSION
ELECTROTECHNIQUE
INTERNATIONALE
ICS 31.260 ISBN 978-2-8322-3985-8
Warning! Make sure that you obtained this publication from an authorized distributor.
Attention! Veuillez vous assurer que vous avez obtenu cette publication via un distributeur agréé.
® Registered trademark of the International Electrotechnical CommissionMarque déposée de la Commission Electrotechnique Internationale
---------------------- Page: 3 ----------------------
– 2 – IEC 60825-4:2022 © IEC 2022
CONTENTS
FOREWORD ........................................................................................................................... 5
INTRODUCTION ..................................................................................................................... 7
1 Scope .............................................................................................................................. 8
2 Normative references ...................................................................................................... 8
3 Terms and definitions ...................................................................................................... 8
4 Requirements for laser guards ....................................................................................... 11
4.1 Requirement ......................................................................................................... 11
4.2 Design requirements ............................................................................................. 12
4.3 Performance requirements .................................................................................... 12
4.4 Validation .............................................................................................................. 12
4.5 User information ................................................................................................... 13
5 Proprietary laser guards ................................................................................................ 13
5.1 General ................................................................................................................. 13
5.2 Design requirements ............................................................................................. 13
5.3 Performance requirements .................................................................................... 13
5.4 Specification requirements .................................................................................... 14
5.5 Test requirements ................................................................................................. 14
5.6 Labelling requirements .......................................................................................... 14
5.7 User information ................................................................................................... 15
Annex A (informative) General guidance on the design and selection of laser guards .......... 16
A.1 Design of laser guards .......................................................................................... 16
A.2 Selection of laser guards ...................................................................................... 16
Annex B (informative) Assessment of foreseeable exposure limit (FEL) ............................... 18
B.1 General ................................................................................................................. 18
B.2 Reflection of laser radiation .................................................................................. 19
B.3 Examples of assessment conditions ...................................................................... 19
B.4 Exposure duration ................................................................................................. 22
Annex C (informative) Elaboration of defined terms ............................................................. 25
C.1 Distinction between FEL and PEL ......................................................................... 25
C.2 Active guard parameters ....................................................................................... 25
Annex D (normative) Proprietary laser guard testing ............................................................ 27
D.1 General ................................................................................................................. 27
D.2 Test conditions ..................................................................................................... 27
D.3 Protection time corresponding to the specified protective exposure limit(PEL) .................................................................................................................... 31
D.4 Information supplied by the manufacturer.............................................................. 31
Annex E (informative) Guidelines on the arrangement and installation of laser guards ......... 33
E.1 Overview............................................................................................................... 33
E.2 General ................................................................................................................. 33
E.3 Risk assessment ................................................................................................... 34
E.4 Examples of risk assessment ................................................................................ 36
E.5 Aids to risk assessment ........................................................................................ 39
Annex F (informative) Guideline for assessing the suitability of laser guards ........................ 42
F.1 Identification of hazards ........................................................................................ 42
F.2 Risk assessment and integrity ............................................................................... 42
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F.3 General design ..................................................................................................... 45
F.4 Selection of safeguards ........................................................................................ 46
F.5 Guard design and construction .............................................................................. 46
F.6 Guard construction and materials .......................................................................... 48
F.7 Other safety devices ............................................................................................. 50
F.8 Interlocking considerations ................................................................................... 51
F.9 Environmental considerations ............................................................................... 55
F.10 Installation consideration – Environmental factors – Services ............................... 56
F.11 Maintenance and service considerations ............................................................... 56
Annex G (normative) Guided beam delivery systems ........................................................... 67
G.1 General ................................................................................................................. 67
G.2 General requirements ........................................................................................... 67
G.3 Verification of safety requirements or protective measures ................................... 69
G.4 Information for users ............................................................................................. 69
G.5 Examples of risk assessments .............................................................................. 70
Bibliography .......................................................................................................................... 75
Figure B.1 – Calculation of diffuse reflections ....................................................................... 19
Figure B.2 – Calculation of specular reflections .................................................................... 19
Figure B.3 – Some examples of a foreseeable fault condition ............................................... 20
Figure B.4 – Four examples of errant laser beams that might have to be contained by a
temporary guard under service conditions ............................................................................. 21
Figure B.5 – Illustration of laser guard exposure during repetitive machine operation ........... 22
Figure B.6 – Two examples of assessed duration of exposure .............................................. 23
Figure B.7 – Assessed duration of exposure for a machine with no safety monitoring ........... 24
Figure C.1 – Illustration of guarding around a laser processing machine ............................... 25
Figure C.2 – Illustration of active laser guard parameters ..................................................... 26
Figure D.1 – Simplified diagram of the test arrangement ....................................................... 29
Figure D.2 – Simplified diagram of the ventilation for the guard under test ............................ 29
Figure F.1 – Damage resistance of 1 mm thick zinc coated steel sheet derived from
10 s exposure to a defocused beam during experiments using a CW CO laser .................... 57
Figure F.2 – Damage resistance of 1 mm thick zinc coated steel sheet derived from
100 s exposure to a defocused beam during experiments using a CW CO laser .................. 58
Figure F.3 – Damage resistance of 2 mm thick zinc coated steel sheet derived from 10
s exposure to a defocused beam during experiments using a CW CO laser ........................ 58
Figure F.4 – Damage resistance of 2 mm thick zinc coated steel sheet derived from
100 s exposure to a defocused beam during experiments using a CW CO laser .................. 58
Figure F.5 – Damage resistance of 3 mm thick zinc coated steel sheet derived from 10
s exposure to a defocused beam during experiments using a CW CO laser ........................ 59
Figure F.6 – Damage resistance of 3 mm thick zinc coated steel sheet derived from
100 s exposure to a defocused beam during experiments using a CW CO laser .................. 59
Figure F.7 – Damage resistance of 2 mm thick aluminium sheet derived from 10 sexposure to a defocused beam during experiments using a CW CO laser ........................... 59
Figure F.8 – Damage resistance of 2 mm thick aluminium sheet derived from 100 sexposure to a defocused beam during experiments using a CW CO laser ........................... 60
---------------------- Page: 5 ----------------------– 4 – IEC 60825-4:2022 © IEC 2022
Figure F.9 – Damage resistance of 1 mm thick stainless steel sheet derived from 10 s
exposure to a defocused beam during experiments using a CW CO laser ........................... 60
Figure F.10 – Damage resistance of 1 mm thick stainless steel sheet derived from 100
s exposure to a defocused beam during experiments using a CW CO laser ........................ 60
Figure F.11 – Damage resistance of 6 mm thick polycarbonate sheet derived from 10 s
exposure to a defocused beam during experiments using a CW CO laser ........................... 61
Figure F.12 – Damage resistance of 6 mm thick polycarbonate sheet derived from 100
s exposure to a defocused beam during experiments using a CW CO laser ........................ 61
Figure F.13 – Damage resistance of 1 mm thick zinc coated steel sheet derived from
10 s exposure to a defocused beam during experiments using a CW Nd:YAG laser .............. 62
Figure F.14 – Damage resistance of 1 mm thick zinc coated steel sheet derived from
100 s exposure to a defocused beam during experiments using a CW Nd:YAG laser ............ 62
Figure F.15 – Damage resistance of 2 mm thick zinc coated steel sheet derived from
10 s exposure to a defocused beam during experiments using a CW Nd:YAG laser .............. 63
Figure F.16 – Damage resistance of 2 mm thick zinc coated steel sheet derived from
100 s exposure to a defocused beam during experiments using a CW Nd:YAG laser ............ 63
Figure F.17 – Damage resistance of 3 mm thick zinc coated steel sheet derived from
10 s exposure to a defocused beam during experiments using a CW Nd:YAG laser .............. 64
Figure F.18 – Damage resistance of 3 mm thick zinc coated steel sheet derived from
100 s exposure to a defocused beam during experiments using a CW Nd:YAG laser ............ 64
Figure F.19 – Damage resistance of 2 mm thick aluminium sheet derived from 10 sexposure to a defocused beam during experiments using a CW Nd:YAG laser ...................... 65
Figure F.20 – Damage resistance of 2 mm thick aluminium sheet derived from 100 sexposure to a defocused beam during experiments using a CW Nd:YAG laser ...................... 65
Figure F.21 – Damage resistance of 1 mm thick stainless steel sheet derived from 10 s
exposure to a defocused beam during experiments using a CW Nd:YAG laser ...................... 66
Figure F.22 – Damage resistance of 1 mm thick stainless steel sheet derived from100 s exposure to a defocused beam during experiments using a CW Nd:YAG laser ............ 66
Table D.1 – Laser guard test classification ............................................................................ 30
Table F.1 – Application of ALARP ......................................................................................... 45
Table G.1 – Beam delivery systems using free space beam delivery systems ....................... 70
Table G.2 – Beam delivery systems using fibre optic cables ................................................. 72
---------------------- Page: 6 ----------------------IEC 60825-4:2022 © IEC 2022 – 5 –
INTERNATIONAL ELECTROTECHNICAL COMMISSION
____________
SAFETY OF LASER PRODUCTS –
Part 4: Laser guards
FOREWORD
1) The International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) is a worldwide organization for standardization comprising
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IEC 60825-4 has been prepared by IEC technical committee 76: Optical radiation safety and
laser equipment. It is an International Standard.This third edition cancels and replaces the second edition published in 2006,
Amendment 1:2008 and Amendment 2:2011. This edition constitutes a technical revision.
This edition includes the following significant technical changes with respect to the previous
edition:a) Significant amendments have been included and this edition has been prepared for user
convenience.---------------------- Page: 7 ----------------------
– 6 – IEC 60825-4:2022 © IEC 2022
The text of this International Standard is based on the following documents:
Draft Report on voting
76/704/FDIS 76/711/RVD
Full information on the voting for its approval can be found in the report on voting indicated in
the above table.The language used for the development of this International Standard is English.
This document was drafted in accordance with ISO/IEC Directives, Part 2, and developed in
accordance with ISO/IEC Directives, Part 1 and ISO/IEC Directives, IEC Supplement, available
at www.iec.ch/members_experts/refdocs. The main document types developed by IEC are
described in greater detail at www.iec.ch/standardsdev/publications.The committee has decided that the contents of this document will remain unchanged until the
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specific document. At this date, the document will be• reconfirmed,
• withdrawn,
• replaced by a revised edition, or
• amended.
IMPORTANT – The "colour inside" logo on the cover page of this document indicates that it
contains colours which are considered to be useful for the correct understanding of its
contents. Users should therefore print this document using a colour printer.---------------------- Page: 8 ----------------------
IEC 60825-4:2022 © IEC 2022 – 7 –
INTRODUCTION
At low levels of irradiance or radiant exposure, the selection of material and thickness for
shielding against laser radiation is determined primarily by a need to provide sufficient optical
attenuation. However, at higher levels, an additional consideration is the ability of the laser
radiation to remove guard material – typically by melting, oxidation or ablation; processes that
could lead to laser radiation penetrating a normally opaque material.IEC 60825-1 deals with basic issues concerning laser guards, including human access,
interlocking and labelling, and gives general guidance on the design of protective housings and
enclosures for high-power lasers.Laser guards may also comply with standards for laser protective eyewear, but such compliance
is not necessarily sufficient to satisfy the requirements of this document.Where the term "irradiance" is used, the expression "irradiance or radiant exposure, as
appropriate" is implied.---------------------- Page: 9 ----------------------
– 8 – IEC 60825-4:2022 © IEC 2022
SAFETY OF LASER PRODUCTS –
Part 4: Laser guards
1 Scope
This part of IEC 60825 specifies the requirements for laser guards, permanent and temporary
(for example for service), that enclose the process zone of a laser processing machine, and
specifications for proprietary laser guards.This document applies to all component parts of a guard including clear (visibly transmitting)
screens and viewing windows, panels, laser curtains and walls.In addition, this document indicates
a) how to assess and specify the protective properties of a laser guard, and
b) how to select a laser guard.
NOTE Requirements for beam path components, beam stops and those other parts of a protective housing of a
laser product which do not enclose the process zone are contained in IEC 60825-1.
This document deals with protection against laser radiation only. Hazards from secondary
radiation that may arise during material processing are not addressed.2 Normative references
The following documents are referred to in the text in such a way that some or all of their content
constitutes requirements of this document. For dated references, only the edition cited applies.
For undated references, the latest edition of the referenced document (including any
amendments) applies.IEC 60825-1:2014, Safety of laser products – Part 1: Equipment classification and requirements
IEC 61508 (all parts), Functional safety of electrical/electronic/programmable electronic safety-
related systemsISO 11553-1, Safety of machinery – Laser processing machines – Laser safety requirements
ISO 12100, Safety of machinery – General principles for design – Risk assessment and risk
reductionISO 13849-1, Safety of machinery – Safety-related parts of control systems – Part 1: General
principles for design3 Terms and definitions
For the purposes of this document, the terms and definitions given in IEC 60825-1 and the
following apply.---------------------- Page: 10 ----------------------
IEC 60825-4:2022 © IEC 2022 – 9 –
ISO and IEC maintain terminological databases for use in standardization at the following
addresses:• IEC Electropedia: available at http://www.electropedia.org/
• ISO Online browsing platform: available at http://www.iso.org/obp
3.1
access panel
panel which when removed or displaced gives human access to laser radiation
Note 1 to entry: Sheathing around a fibre, tubing used as an enclosure component or any device serving the function
of a removable or displaceable panel, can also be an "access panel" within the terms of this definition.
3.2active guard protection time
minimum time for a given laser exposure of the front (incident) surface of an active laser guard,
measured from the issue of an active guard termination signal, for which the active laser guard
can safely prevent laser radiation accessible at its rear surface from exceeding the Class 1 AEL
3.3active guard termination signal
signal issued by an active guard in response to an excess exposure of its front surface to laser
radiation and which is intended to lead to automatic termination of the laser radiation
Note 1 to entry: The action of a safety interlock becoming open circuit is considered a "signal" in this context.
3.4active laser guard
laser guard which is part of a safety-related control system whereby failure of the front surface
of the laser guard triggers a termination signal3.5
beam delivery system
system comprised of all those components, including all optical beam components and potential
beam paths and their enclosures, which when combined, transfer laser radiation emitted from
the laser radiation generator (the laser) to the workpieceNote 1 to entry: These components may include all elements for guiding, shaping and switching the laser beam as
well as the enclosure of and support for the beam path components. See Annex G for detail on guided beam delivery
systems.3.6
beam diameter
diameter of the smallest circular aperture in a plane perpendicular to the beam axis that contains
86 % of the total laser power (or energy)Note 1 to entry: In the case of a Gaussian beam (TEM ), d corresponds to the point where the irradiance
...
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