Laser Safety

Laser (Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation), a kind of non-ionizing radiation, is widely used in laboratories for research and teaching purposes at the University. Laser differs from other sources of light by its monochromaticity, coherence and low divergence. These special characteristics allow a laser beam to be focused to a very small spot, achieving very high irradiance.

Exposure to a high-power laser beam, even for a very short duration, may cause serious and irreversible damage to our eyes or skin, with eyes being more susceptible to damage. This is because a laser beam at a wavelength between 400 and 1,400 nm (known as retinal hazard region), after entering human eyes, will be focused by the lens to a very small spot on the retina, thus amplifying intensity of the laser beam by 100,000 times.

On the other hand, there are many other hazards (known as non-beam hazards) associated with use of laser equipment but not directly related to exposure to the laser beam itself. These hazards include fire, hazardous vapor or mists from targeting materials, toxic gases from lasing mediums, electric shock, cryogens, etc. These hazards can be even more dangerous than beam hazards, representing most reported fatalities.

Control of High-power Lasers

To ensure safe use of high-power laser equipment (i.e. Class 3b or above), the University requires Principal Investigator or Laboratory in-charge to:

• Register all high-power laser equipment with HSO
• Ensure users of high-power laser equipment complete proper laser safety training and register with HSO
• Establish Safe Operating Procedure (SOP)
• Implement proper safety measures including laser beam enclosures, safety interlocks and laser safety goggles
• Obtain Research Safety Approval from the Research Safety Sub‑committee for research projects involving use of a high-power laser source