Can Laser Pointers and Laser Modules Injure You?

Eyes: High power laser beams do have the potential to cause serious and permanent eye injuries. An incident at a rave in Russia in mid 2008 where dozens of ravers were blinded by the in appropriate use of lasers is a tragic example. The higher the power of a laser, the more likely it is to cause injury. The official safe power limit given by the US Food and Drug Authority (FDA) is 5mW. This limit is conservative and lasers of 10mW or less will not cause eye injury.

Skin: As a rule, portable lasers which can go up to 600mW in power are not dangerous or capable of causing harm to skin. Starting at 75mW of power lasers will sting in several seconds and will sting instantly at 300mW or higher. Skin will only injured if the exposed part of the body is not removed from the beam after stinging occurs.

Lasers at powers higher than 1 watt are capable of causing serious skin injuries but these lasers are all bench mounted and normally used in controlled environments such as laboratories.

Radiation & Cancer: Despite what many people believe, normal green, blue, orange, red, violet and infrared laser pointers and laser modules do not give out harmful radiation or cause cancer. A fluorescent light, LCD TV or bar heater emit the same type of light as lasers and are just as much chance of causing cancer which is no chance.

Military lasers: Despite a ban in 1995 on lasers that caused blindness or eye injuries, military establishments all over the world have been investing billions of dollars in laser research. So these laser weapons are all vehicle based and non portable, have severe limitations on their effectiveness and have not yet officially been used in combat.

Portable lasers and laser pointers are being used by armed services personal in Iraq and Afghanistan on an individual basis. These lasers are used for non lethal deterrent and target identification. They do not cause any harm and at the powers and ranges used, are not capable of causing harm.

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