US and international laser product classification and protective housing requirements under varying circumstances

In recent years, there have been introduced, new standards, (or amendments), which specify the type of laser hazard class appropriate to a given circumstance or use environment. The Class of a laser processing machine, for example, as installed in the EU (European Union) or EFT A countries within the (European Free Trade Area) is dictated by the user environment, and the type of personnel expected in that environment. This presentation gives a brief of the varying requirements for general use, telecommunication and material processing lasers as delineated in the pertinent Standards. Standards discussed include IEC (EN) 60825-1 Safety of laser products – Part 1: Equipment classification, requirements and user’s guide; IEC (EN) 60825-2 Safety of laser products – Part 2: Fiber optic communication systems; ISO/IEC (EN) 11553-1 (FDIS) Safety of machines — Laser processing machines — Part 1: General safety requirements; US Title 21 Code of Federal Regulations ¶ 1040 Federal Laser Product Performance Standard; ANSI B 11.21: Safety Requirements for Machine Tools Using Lasers for Processing Materials; and their associated or referenced standards. This presentation should be useful to those manufacturers intending to provide the described equipment, or to users desiring an understanding of the manufacturing requirements, as it relates to their responsibilities in the work place environment.