Personal Protective Equipment

Protective eyewear is necessary for Class 3 and 4 laser use where irradiation of the eye is possible.  Such eye protection should be used only at the wavelength and energy/power for which it is intended.  Eye protection may include goggles, spectacles or prescription eyewear using special filter materials or reflective coatings (or a combination of both) to reduce exposure below the maximum permissible exposure (MPE).

The following factors should be considered in selecting the appropriate laser protective eyewear:

  • Wavelength(s) of the laser output
  • Potential for multi-wavelength operation
  • Radiant exposure or irradiance levels for which protection (worst case) is required
  • Optical Density (OD) requirement of the eyewear filter at laser output wavelength
  • Need for side shield protection and peripheral vision
  • Need for prescription glasses
  • Comfort and fit
  • Degradation of absorbing media, such as photobleaching
  • Requirement for anti-fogging design or coatings

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