Laser show safety basics from the International Laser Display Association

Laser Show Safety - Basic Principles

Introduction

This document lists basic principles of laser show safety. It not complete and must not be relied on exclusively to create a safe laser show. (For more information on laser safety, see this page which has detailed articles and web links.)

ILDA requires each Member and IAPLC "ILDA Professional" company doing laser shows to affirm that they have read, understand and acknowledge the laser show safety basics below.

Who this document is for

The document uses "I" and "me". In general, "I" and "me" can refer to anyone reading the document who has laser show safety responsibilities.

For ILDA's purposes, "I" and "me" refers to the ILDA Member who affirms the laser show safety basics.

For Corporate and Nonprofit Members, the person affirming is a corporate owner or officer, who is signing on behalf of the corporation or organization. "I" and "me" refers to anyone working for the Member who has laser safety responsibility.
Although Members' employees do not have to read this specific document, if they work with lasers they should be aware of the information in this document.
For Individual and Student Members, the person affirming is the Member.

LASER SHOW SAFETY - BASIC PRINCIPLES

As a laser operator and/or producer of laser light shows and displays, I understand and acknowledge the following:

1. Above any other considerations, a laser show must be safe for all persons at the show. This means:

a. The laser light must not cause injury (harmful changes) to eyes or skin.

b. The laser light must not create a potentially injurious condition, such as causing curtains or other materials to ignite.

c. Non-laser safety must also be maintained, in areas such as mechanical mounting (no hazards from falling equipment) and electrical safety.

2. I understand that I am ultimately responsible for the laser show�s safety.

3. I will not present a show which is hazardous (potentially unsafe), or change or modify a safe show so that it becomes hazardous.

4. I will not allow others to override safety considerations, such as show producers or clients.

5. My shows will be continuously monitored so that hazardous conditions can be detected if they occur. In such a case, the condition will be corrected or the laser emission will be immediately terminated (within a few seconds).

a. This is most commonly done using a trained operator who knows what hazardous conditions to monitor, and who knows how to immediately terminate the laser emission

b. Alternatively, continuous monitoring may be done by an automated system if it provides a reliable, equivalent level of safety.

c. Some shows and displays may not require continuous monitoring if audiences and other non-service persons cannot access the beams under reasonably foreseeable conditions. An example is a fully-enclosed rear projection system.

6. Laser safety standards and guidelines should be followed at all times, including during setup/installation, and for all persons in the area, whether general audiences, performers, production staff, etc.

a. For some persons such as performers, there may need to be special safety measures such as dead man's switches or additional monitoring, to ensure they are in a correct position when lasers are used near them.

7. I will use backup methods to ensure that if beams do not hit a target, they will not pose a hazard. This can include

a. physical backups such as beam stops or having the beam terminate on a building (NOT a window)

b. apertures, beam masks or electronic limits on scanners at the projector, to limit beam movement

c. monitoring so a misaligned beam is noticed and causes laser shut down.

8. I understand that audience scanning requires the highest level of laser safety knowledge, and requires the most care in design, setup and operation.

a. Any deliberate scanning of an audience with laser light should be done in accordance with applicable laws and regulations in the jurisdiction where the laser show takes place.

b. Regardless of the laws which may apply, it MUST be done safely in accordance with generally accepted exposure limits issued by engineering groups such as ANSI (Z136.1) or IEC (60825.1 and 60825.3), or required by regulatory bodies such as U.S. FDA/CDRH. ILDA does not recommend or require any specific standard/regulation. However, the show must meet a generally accepted standard/regulation.

c. In determining compliance, appropriate light-measuring instruments must be used in a valid manner. The eye alone cannot determine if a laser exposure is safe, and standard laser power meters may not be appropriate for these measurements. (ILDA has provided information for Members on how to do measurements, and on suggested practices for audience scanning shows.)

9. I understand that pulsed lasers should never be used for audience scanning; these include Q-switched Nd:YAG and Copper Vapor lasers (including Copper Bromide).

a. The only exception would be under very special conditions that have been reviewed and confirmed by a qualified and experienced laser safety specialist.

i. Two examples of special conditions:

1. Substantial distances (many miles) are involved
2. The pulse repetition rate is extremely high, such as 80MHz

ii. Even under these special conditions, a comprehensive analysis must be done by a highly qualified expert.

b. Such special conditions are so rare that the general rule is to never allow audience scanning with a pulsed laser

10. If I do not understand the above-referenced standards (e.g., ANSI and/or IEC),
or if I do not have the equipment and procedures to ensure audience safety,
I will not do audience scanning.

11. When doing outdoor shows, I will not illuminate aircraft with light levels which � although eye-safe under the MPE -- may be bright enough to cause distraction, veiling glare, or temporary flashblindness of pilots, especially during critical flight phases such as landing and takeoff. Many countries may require outdoor shows to be evaluated and approved in advance by aviation authorities (e.g, U.S. FAA or U.K. CAA). Common safety measures can include:

a. Restricting beams from heavy traffic areas such as flight paths near airports.

b. Termination of beams on nearby buildings or other structures. (Because helicopters may be able to fly between the laser source and a termination point, even terminated beams may need to be monitored.)

b. Aircraft spotters in communication with the laser operator can monitor airspace. The laser beam can be turned off or redirected if there is a potential hazard.

� 2004-2013 International Laser Display Association. All rights reserved.
No reproduction of text or images on this site is allowed without written permission of ILDA or other copyright holder(s). "ILDA" and the ILDA logo are trademarks of the International Laser Display Association.

ILDA WEBSITE AT-A-GLANCE

Most-used website pages

Home page
What's new with ILDA (latest news)
----------------------------
Become a Member (for non-members)
Become Accredited (for laser show companies)
Renew for this year (for Members)
Member Management website
Contact us (address, phone, etc.)
Safety links & articles

For laser show clients

Find a laser display company:
      Directory of ILDA Accredited Professionals
     ----------------------------
      Directory of ILDA Members, alphabetical
      Directory of ILDA Members, geographical
      Directory of ILDA Members, searchable database
      Members new & renewed for 2012
          2011 2010 2009 2008 2007
     ----------------------------
      Submit an inquiry about a specific project
      Why hire an ILDA-related company
      Contact ILDA

See our Members' work:
      Places to see laser shows
      Latest shows and projects
      New products and services
      Press releases from our members
     ----------------------------
     Sign up for Laserist list email
     ----------------------------
      Laser art book: "World of Manick Sorcar"
      Articles by and about ILDA

Why use lasers:
      Complete Guide to Laser Shows
     -----------------------------
      Why lasers?
      Atmospheric beam effects
      Animated graphics
      The show
     Technology

Consumer protection:
     ILDA Accreditation helps ensure qualifications
      ILDA Code of Ethics protects you
      Ethics Complaint Form (file a complaint)
      Ethics Complaint List (active complaints)
      What does it mean that a company is an ILDA Member?
     -----------------------------
     Internet and eBay fraud warning
      Safety links & articles
      Laser effects on cameras and camcorders
     -----------------------------
     Are you being harassed by lasers?
     For laser pointers:
        Safety warning: "DVD Laser Flashlight Hack"
        Laser Pointer Safety website

Inquiries and referrals (find a company, book a show, ask a question)

For all laserists

Become an ILDA Member
ILDA Pro (IAPLC) accreditation
-----------------------------
Laser Safety Officer course
Online Store website
ILDA mailing lists:
ILDA and Laserist mailing lists
ILDA BuySell mailing list
-----------------------------
Safety links & articles
Technical standards
Links to related sites

For ILDA members

Membership benefits:
      Networking
      Membership listings
      Annual Conference
      ----------------------------
      Use the ILDA Member logo
      Enter the ILDA Awards
      Receive inquiries
      ----------------------------
      Member Discount Program
    Insurance
     -----------------------------
      Help set standards
     Access to ILDA Standards
      -----------------------------
      Work on committees
      Ethics Committee
     Input to regulatory agencies
      "Self-help"

Member Discount Program
----------------------------
Ethics and business:
      Code of Ethics
      Code of Business Practice
      Code of Bus. Pr. FAQ
      Ethics Complaint Form
       -----------------------------
      Intellectual property tips
      2010 warning - OpenGL artware piracy

Accreditation & certification programs
      Overview
      Required elements
      "ILDA Professional" IAPLC program

Laser safety basics

About ILDA

Contact us
Permission to reprint ILDA material
----------------------------
What we do:
     Our mission
     Protecting the industry
     What does it mean that a company is an ILDA Member?
    ILDA's power and limits
     -----------------------------
     Articles by and about ILDA

Board, Executive Director & committees:
      Board and Executive Director
      Board duties
      Running and voting for the Board
      Committees
      Volunteer opportunities
      -----------------------------
     ILDA's power and limits

Our history:
     Founding meeting, 1986
     Founding Members, 1986
   ILDA timeline, 1986-present
     -----------------------------
     List of past ILDA Award winners
     List of past ILDA Conferences
     List of past Board members
     -----------------------------
     Current "What's new" page (for this year)
     Past "What's new" pages:
            2012 2011 2010 2009 2008
            2007 2006

The ILDA Conference

Nov 2013, Aalen, Germany
Future conferences

Previous conferences:
     2012 Nov., San Antonio, Texas
     -----------------------------
     2011 Nov., Moscow
          Post-conference report
     Pre-conference information:
          Overview, registration, attendees
     -----------------------------
    2010 Sept., cruise #2 from Miami
          Tim Walsh's diary
         Attendees
          Pre-conference information:
               Overview and registration
               Reservations and travel
     -----------------------------
      2009 June, Amsterdam
          Overview and photos
          Technology Workshop
           Pre-conference information:
               ILDA Member registration
               Non-member registration
     -----------------------------
     2008 Sept., cruise from Miami
            Post-conference report
            Tim Walsh's diary
            Attendees
            Pre-conference information:
                Overview
                Photo preview
                Reservations and getting there
                Conference registration
                Sponsorship opportunities
                Logo contest (deadline 6/30)
     -----------------------------
     2007 March, Heshan, China:
           About the 2007 Conference
           List of attendees
      2006 March, Rimini, Italy
      List of past conferences

About conferences:
Conferences: A general overview
Conference hosting guide

The ILDA Awards

2012 Award winners

Previous ILDA Award winners
     List of all artistic & tech winners
     List of all Career Achievement Award winners
    Winners by year:
                                        2012 2011
          2010 2009 2008 2007 2006
          2005 2004 2003 2002 2001
          2000 1999 1998 1997 1996
          1995 1994 1993 1992 1991
          1990 1989 1988

Awards overview
Judging guidelines
----------------------------
2013 entry forms
2012 entry forms
2011 entry forms
ILDA Award trophy photos (Members only)

The Laserist magazine