Development of laser maximum permissible exposure limits

Laser safety standards were first published in the late 1960’s after the invention of the laser in 1960. It was recognized early on that laser energy could be more hazardous than other forms of light previously encountered. The American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists produced a laser hazards standard in 1968 [1]. The Army, Navy and Air Force also produced standards in 1969 [2, 3]. The American National Committee for the Safe Use of Lasers was formed in 1968 and produced the first National Standard in 1973 [4]. In 1976, the Food and Drug Administration produced a product performance standard for manufacturers of laser devices [5]. These last two standards were the first complete standards that had exposure limits or emission limits for a wide variety of exposure durations and wavelengths.