Regulations regarding the sale and use of class 3R laser products in Europe

Depending on the type of product and usage, three different categories of legal requirements are identified that apply for laser products in Europe, in particular for the case that the exposure limit for the eye is or can be exceeded (Class 3R, 3B, 4): product safety legislation, i.e. what is allowed to be placed on the market; work place safety regulations if the product is used at the workplace; and what could be referred as event safety legislation, when the laser radiation can expose general population, for instance the audience in a cinema. All of these legal requirements are to a degree relevant for the manufacturer of laser products even though the latter two not directly. However, if the user of a device has to deal with significant safety measures and restrictions by the authorities, then this is a problematic situation also for the manufacturer of the product in terms of attractiveness of the product. The legal situation will be summarized and commented on for the case of Class 3R laser products and laser shows.