Re: Calling all laser experts

[Franz Schoenhofer <schoenho@via.at>]

At 07:43 29.10.1998 -0600, you wrote:
>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


Elizbeth,

Being the father of three childen I share your concerns. On the other hand
I recognize that knifes can be bougth at any supermarket and you know that
knifes can be used and are used to kill people. It might be difficult, but
I think it wortwhile to convince your children that such products should
not be bought and even less should be used as a toy. I encourage you to
convince he importers or sellers of these toys to stop that. I hardly
believe that legislation in the USA permits sale of such dangerous toys.

Best regards,

Franz

Franz Schoenhofer
Habicherg. 31/7
A-1160 Vienna
Austria
Tel.: +43-1-495 53 08
Fax.: same number
mobile phone: +43-664-338 0 333
e-mail: schoenho@via.at

Office:
Federal Institute for Food Control and Research
Department of Radiochemistry
Kinderspitalg. 15
A-1095 Vienna
Austria
Tel.: +43-1-40 491 520
Fax.: +43-1-40 491 540
e-mail: schoenhofer@baluf.via.at
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