Laser Pointer

[Jon Stratis]

Originally Posted by gblake

Jon,

Manufacturers are required to properly label any/all lasers sold in the USA. A proper label(s) includes specifying the laser's class.

You (and FIRST) should think twice about whether you really, really want a datasheet with every laser, or if you will trust the manufacturer's label.

I think you need to decide how to balance the possibility that an unscrupulous manufacturer might put a Class 1 label on a dangerous laser, and the possibility that requiring a datasheet places an undue burden on teams by preventing them from using perfectly safe, inexpensive, mass-market lasers.

If an inspector rejected my robot's properly labeled, class 1 laser, because I didn't have a datasheet for it, I would be mighty annoyed (unless FIRST told me well in advance that I would have to supply a datasheet).

Blake
PS: Lasers emitting any frequency can be Class 1 lasers. The classification system takes into account the multiple types of harm human tissues are vulnerable to, the watts and/or watts-per-second emitted by the laser for the time it might be turned on, the emitted beam's collimation (sp?) in areas where humans might be exposed to it, and the wavelength of the laser's light. If I forgot any other important factors, forgive me.

Most of the lasers I've seen on robots are tiny little things, mounted inside of other stuff, that don't have visible labels on them. I had one just last weekend - the entire thing was about the size of a pencil eraser, press/glued into a hole in a piece of plywood to ensure it stayed properly aimed. It's up to the team to prove to the inspector that a laser on their machine is legal, and for that a data sheet is the best way. I would also likely accept one that was properly labeled as class 1 from the manufacturer, should a team actually show up with one that has a label on it.