Laser products promoted for pointing and demonstration purposes are limited to hazard Class IIIa by FDA regulation. This means that pointers are limited to 5 milliwatts output power in the visible wavelength range from 400 to 710 nanometers. (Common DPSS green lasers are 532 nanometers). European and international (IEC) standards for laser classification were revised in 2001 eliminating the Class 3a designation and basically calling for laser pointer devices to be in the Class 2M or lower designation limiting output to 1 mW. The reason for these standards are safety. Lasers that emit between 5mW and 500mW output power are in Class IIIb (or IEC Class 3B). Class IIIb lasers cannot legally be promoted as laser pointers or demonstration laser products in the US. Radiation in this class is considered very likely to be dangerous. As the FDA puts it,"Irresponsible use of more powerful laser pointers poses a significant risk of injury to the people exposed. Persons who misuse or irresponsibly use lasers are open to personal liability and prosecution." My advice to anyone that chooses to own and use a handheld laser of >5 milliwatt output is to make sure you are extremely careful or you are putting yourself and those around you at risk of eye damage. I would also note to those interested in ordering powerful laser pointers from Chinese suppliers that the FDA considers Class IIIb hand-held lasers too dangerous for use as pointers or amusement articles and subject to detention and seizure by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection when imported. Additional information can be found at the FDAs website at: http://www.fda.gov/ForConsumers/ConsumerUpdates/ucm166649.htm ________________________________ From: Joe Bauman <josephmbauman@yahoo.com> To: Utah Astronomy <utah-astronomy@mailman.xmission.com> Sent: Tuesday, January 22, 2013 6:30 PM Subject: Re: [Utah-astronomy] laser pointers Rich's mention of the legality of these lasers makes me wonder about the previous discussion re. 200 or 400-mw lasers. Any comments? ________________________________ From: Richard Tenney <retenney@yahoo.com> To: Utah Astronomy <utah-astronomy@mailman.xmission.com> Sent: Tuesday, January 22, 2013 9:39 AM Subject: Re: [Utah-astronomy] laser pointers I spoke with him after the last meeting and he assured me he would have the box of laser pointers ($10 each) at the next meeting. I believe these are the garden-variety legal, <5mw green lasers most of us use with success (when the sky isn't too light-polluted).