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IEC 60825-1:2014 is applicable to safety of laser products emitting laser radiation in the wavelength range 180 nm to 1 mm. A laser product may consist of a single laser with or without a separate power supply or may incorporate one or more lasers in a complex optical, electrical, or mechanical system. Typically, laser products are used for demonstration of physical and optical phenomena, materials processing, data reading and storage, transmission and display of information, etc. Such systems have found use in industry, business, entertainment, research, education, medicine and consumer products. Laser products that are sold to other manufacturers for use as components of any system for subsequent sale are not subject to IEC 60825-1, since the final product will itself be subject to this standard. Laser products that are sold by or for manufacturers of end products for use as repair parts for the end products are also not subject to IEC 60825-1. However, if the laser system within the laser product is operable when removed from the end product, the requirements of this Part 1 apply to the removable laser system. The objectives of this part of IEC 60825 are:
- to introduce a system of classification of lasers and laser products emitting radiation in the wavelength range 180 nm to 1 mm according to their degree of optical radiation hazard in order to aid hazard evaluation and to aid the determination of user control measures;
- to establish requirements for the manufacturer to supply information so that proper precautions can be adopted;
- to ensure, through labels and instructions, adequate warning to individuals of hazards associated with accessible radiation from laser products; and
- to reduce the possibility of injury by minimizing unnecessary accessible radiation and to give improved control of the laser radiation hazards through protective features. This edition includes the following significant technical changes with respect to the previous edition:
- a new class, Class 1C, was introduced;
- the measurement condition 2 ("eye loupe" condition) was removed;
- a classification of the emission of laser products below a certain radiance level that are intended to be used as replacement for conventional light sources can, as an option, be based on the IEC 62471 series;
- and the accessible emission limits (AELs) for Class 1, 1M, 2, 2M and 3R of pulsed sources, particularly of pulsed extended sources, were updated to reflect the latest revision of the ICNIRP guidelines on exposure limits (accepted for publication in Health Physics Journal 2013, see also www.icnirp.org).