RE: Calling all laser experts

["Charris, Rafael G. TSgt" <rafael.charris@med.edwards.af.mil>]

		I'm curious, what about a laser beam from one of these
products into the eyes of a person wearing glasses? Wouldn't the optics
magnify to such an extent as to significantly increase the chances of
injury?

		Rafael G. Charris, OHST, RRPT
		Edwards AFB, CA



				-----Original Message-----
				From:	Pickett, Bruce D
[mailto:Bruce.Pickett@PSS.Boeing.com]
				Sent:	Thursday, October 29, 1998 8:43 AM
				To:	Multiple recipients of list
				Subject:	RE: Calling all laser
experts

				One of our suppliers recently gave one of
our people a gift of a laser
				pointer emblazoned with their tradename. At
the "business end" of the
				pointer was a minuscule laser warning label
which could not be read except
				with a magnifying glass, and even then it
was blurry. Through the magnifying
				glass, we could make out that this was a
class IIIa laser, and also that its
				output was 5 Mw [sic]. Of course its a typo,
but taken literally it
				signifies a five megawatt laser. "Use the
force, Luke."

				Bruce Pickett
				The Boeing Company
				Seattle, WA

				> ----------
				> From:
				>
elizabeth_algutifan@wssrap-host.wssrap.com[SMTP:elizabeth_algutifan@wssrap
				> -host.wssrap.com]
				> Sent: 	Thursday, October 29, 1998
5:42 AM
				> To: 	Multiple recipients of list
				> Subject: 	Calling all laser experts
				> 
				> Hey Radsafers,
				> 
				> I took my kids to the mall here in St.
Charles last night.  My older son
				> had
				> been begging me for a week to get him a
"cool laser" to use on Halloween
				> night
				> ("All the other kids have one, Mom," he
pleaded).  The first gift shop we
				> came
				> to had some key chains hanging near the
cash register.  My son immediately
				> recognized them as laser key chains, so I
picked one up and looked at it.
				> It
				> had a warning label that said it was a
Class IIIa, red laser in the
				> 660-680 nm
				> wavelength range.  It said "Keep out reach
of children" (not my typo; an
				> import
				> I guess) and "Do not point directly in the
eyes" (well, yeah, that makes
				> sense!)
				>  It was selling for $14.99.  I did not buy
it for him (because I know
				> someone
				> will ask).  Of course, I know that these
key chains are becoming very
				> popular
				> among school children, as are laser
pointers and other types of laser
				> devices
				> that are sold over the counter in some
retail stores.  Our local school
				> district
				> has just made a rule forbidding children
to bring any type of laser
				> devices to
				> school under any circumstances.  A child
at my kids' school was just
				> suspended
				> for bringing a laser pointer to class (a
third grader).
				> 
				> Now, my question is, isn't a Class IIIa
laser a pretty severe ocular
				> hazard? And
				> what can we as health physicists do about
it?  I'm no expert in this
				> field, but
				> the bits and pieces I've read from
studying for the CHP exam indicate to
				> me that
				> it's an immediate ocular hazard if
intrabeam viewing occurs.  I'd like
				> others'
				> thoughts on this issue; I was so upset
last night about these things being
				> in
				> plain view in retail stores (and at a
child's eye level) that I was
				> thinking
				> about calling up the FDA.  This seems to
be a significant acute radiation
				> issue
				> to me, that you folks will be interested
in.  I hope I'm not overreacting,
				> and I
				> think I am not.  Thanks for the help and
advice.
				> 
				> Elizabeth Algutifan,
				> Environmental Health Physicist
				> WSSRAP
				> St. Charles, MO
				> Elizabeth_Algutifan@wssrap-host.wssrap.com
				> 
				>
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