The problem of incorrect and false labels
For some products such as laser pointers and mass-produced laser light show projectors, there is a widespread problem with labels being incorrect or falsified.
This website can help manufacturers avoid the first case of ignorance. However, buyers and users need to be aware of the other two cases.
Always err on the side of safety. Especially for pointers and projectors, assume a laser is more hazardous than the label states, unless the laser output has been double-checked by a competent, trained person who uses the proper equipment and procedures to verify the output.
- This may be due to ignorance. For example, a manufacturer simply copies a label from a website or existing product without understanding how his or her product differs.
- This may be due to poor quality control. A manufacturer may intend for the product to have certain characteristics such as output power below 5 milliwatts, but components are changed or fail such that the power is significantly — and hazardously — greater.
- And this may be due to deliberate fraud. A manufacturer wants to sell a high-powered device into a country that only allows importation of low-powered lasers, so the label is falsified. Conversely, the manufacturer of a product such as a laser projector may indicate the projector is very powerful when in fact it is not close to its labeled output power.
This website can help manufacturers avoid the first case of ignorance. However, buyers and users need to be aware of the other two cases.
Always err on the side of safety. Especially for pointers and projectors, assume a laser is more hazardous than the label states, unless the laser output has been double-checked by a competent, trained person who uses the proper equipment and procedures to verify the output.
Disclaimer
SAFETY NOTICE: This website is intended for the educational, instructional and informational purposes of the user and is not to be considered a substitute for a knowledgeable and trained Laser Safety Officer (LSO) with the duties and responsibilities as defined in the ANSI Z136 standard published by the American National Standard Institute.
While the labels herein may be sufficient for relatively simple and common laser types, for more complex situations, consult an expert in laser regulatory compliance.
While the labels herein may be sufficient for relatively simple and common laser types, for more complex situations, consult an expert in laser regulatory compliance.
