IEC TR 60825-8:2006

TECHNICAL IEC
REPORT TR 60825-8
Second edition
2006-12
Safety of laser products –
Part 8:
Guidelines for the safe use of laser
beams on humans
Reference number
IEC/TR 60825-8:2006(E)
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TECHNICAL IEC
REPORT TR 60825-8
Second edition
2006-12
Safety of laser products –
Part 8:
Guidelines for the safe use of laser
beams on humans
© IEC 2006 ⎯ Copyright - all rights reserved
No part of this publication may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or
mechanical, including photocopying and microfilm, without permission in writing from the publisher.
International Electrotechnical Commission, 3, rue de Varembé, PO Box 131, CH-1211 Geneva 20, Switzerland
Telephone: +41 22 919 02 11 Telefax: +41 22 919 03 00 E-mail: inmail@iec.ch Web: www.iec.ch
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For price, see current catalogue

– 2 – TR 60825-8 © IEC:2006(E)
CONTENTS
FOREWORD.3
INTRODUCTION.5

1 Scope and object .6
2 Normative references.6
3 Terms and definitions .6
4 Hazards, goals and control measures.9
4.1 Risks to eyes.9
4.2 Risks to skin.10
4.3 Fire and burn hazards.11
4.4 Fumes, plumes and vapours .12
4.5 Collateral hazards.13
5 Administrative procedures.13
5.1 LASER SAFETY OFFICER (LSO) .13
5.2 Medical supervision (ophthalmic surveillance) .15
5.3 INCIDENT and ACCIDENT reporting.15
5.4 Maintenance and inspection.16
6 Training recommendations.16
7 Laser environment .17
7.1 The LASER CONTROLLED AREA.17
7.2 Windows .18
7.3 Walls.18
7.4 Fire protection .18

Annex A (informative) Biological effects, hazards, laser equipment technology.19
Annex B (informative) Window shielding.26
Annex C (informative) Checklist for laser installation .27
Annex D (informative) Laser safety training .30
Annex E (informative) Inspection schedule .31
Annex F (informative) Safety issues in laser applications .36

Bibliography .40

Table A.1 – Summary of pathological effects associated with excessive exposure to light .20
Table E.1 – Inspection schedule.33

TR 60825-8 © IEC:2006(E) – 3 –
INTERNATIONAL ELECTROTECHNICAL COMMISSION
____________
SAFETY OF LASER PRODUCTS –
Part 8: Guidelines for the safe use
of laser beams on humans
FOREWORD
1) The International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) is a worldwide organization for standardization comprising
all national electrotechnical committees (IEC National Committees). The object of IEC is to promote
international co-operation on all questions concerning standardization in the electrical and electronic fields. To
this end and in addition to other activities, IEC publishes International Standards, Technical Specifications,
Technical Reports, Publicly Available Specifications (PAS) and Guides (hereafter referred to as “IEC
Publication(s)”). Their preparation is entrusted to technical committees; any IEC National Committee interested
in the subject dealt with may participate in this preparatory work. International, governmental and non-
governmental organizations liaising with the IEC also participate in this preparation. IEC collaborates closely
with the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) in accordance with conditions determined by
agreement between the two organizations.
2) The formal decisions or agreements of IEC on technical matters express, as nearly as possible, an international
consensus of opinion on the relevant subjects since each technical committee has representation from all
interested IEC National Committees.
3) IEC Publications have the form of recommendations for international use and are accepted by IEC National
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between any IEC Publication and the corresponding national or regional publication shall be clearly indicated in
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5) IEC provides no marking procedure to indicate its approval and cannot be rendered responsible for any
equipment declared to be in conformity with an IEC Publication.
6) All users should ensure that they have the latest edition of this publication.
7) No liability shall attach to IEC or its directors, employees, servants or agents including individual experts and
members of its technical committees and IEC National Committees for any personal injury, property damage or
other damage of any nature whatsoever, whether direct or indirect, or for costs (including legal fees) and
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8) Attention is drawn to the Normative references cited in this publication. Use of the referenced publications is
indispensable for the correct application of this publication.
9) Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this IEC Publication may be the subject of
patent rights. IEC shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights.
The main task of IEC technical committees is to prepare International Standards. However, a
technical committee may propose the publication of a technical report when it has collected
data of a different kind from that which is normally published as an International Standard, for
example "state of the art".
IEC 60825-8, which is a technical report, has been prepared by IEC technical committee 76:
Optical radiation safety and laser equipment.
This second edition cancels and replaces the first edition published in 1999. It constitutes a
technical revision. This second edition, which is the result of continued maintenance work on
the previous edition, reflects more thorough consideration of the hazards involved. It also takes
into account newer laser technology and laser radiation supply instrumentation, and addresses
refined application procedures. Additionally, this second edition implements more recent
information available from other standards relevant to safety procedures, which have been
revised in recent years. Further technical developments in this area will be reflected on an
ongoing basis in future amendments or editions of this technical report.

– 4 – TR 60825-8 © IEC:2006(E)
The text of this technical report is based on the following documents:
Enquiry draft Report on voting
76/316/DTR 76/329/RVC
Full information on the voting for the approval of this technical report can be found in the report
on voting indicated in the above table.
This publication has been drafted in accordance with the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 2.
Terms indicated in small capitals are defined in Clause 3.
A list of all parts of the IEC 60825-8 series, published under the general title Safety of laser
products, can be found on the IEC website.
The committee has decided that the contents of this publication will remain unchanged until the
maintenance result date indicated on the IEC web site under "http://webstore.iec.ch" in the data
related to the specific publication. At this date, the publication will be
• reconfirmed;
• withdrawn;
• replaced by a revised edition, or
• amended.
A bilingual version of this technical report may be issued at a later date.

TR 60825-8 © IEC:2006(E) – 5 –
INTRODUCTION
Lasers emit visible and/or invisible optical radiation. In some cases, this radiation is a parallel
beam with almost no divergence. This means that the inherently high IRRADIANCE of the laser
may be maintained over considerable distances. Because of this, the beam may be focused to
a very small area, which may be hazardous to the eye or skin. Annex A includes descriptions of
laser systems and some medical applications.
Lasers may present hazards to anyone present during the operation of the laser. Serious risks
of injury, in particular to the eye, and/or undesired effects can result from lack of protective
measures, the use of faulty laser equipment, misdirected beams or inappropriate laser control
settings.
This guide is intended to give direction as to how aspects of laser safety may be incorporated
into medical laser practice. Its publication as a technical report indicates that it is not intended
to take precedence over existing or proposed national guidance. However, where none exists,
this guide should prove helpful.
Although the LASER OPERATOR has direct responsibility for safety during laser use, the employer
bears the responsibility for the setting up of a framework for the safe use of the system. This
guide strongly advocates the appointment of a LASER SAFETY OFFICER to provide expert advice
to the employer and all personnel concerned with the laser operation. This guide emphasizes
the need for appropriate laser safety training for all staff involved in providing practical
guidance on installation, operation, maintenance and servicing.

– 6 – TR 60825-8 © IEC:2006(E)
SAFETY OF LASER PRODUCTS –
Part 8: Guidelines for the safe use
of laser beams on humans
1 Scope and object
This part of IEC 60825 serves as a guide to the employer, the RESPONSIBLE ORGANISATION, the
LASER SAFETY OFFICER, the LASER OPERATOR and other persons involved, on the safe use of
lasers and laser equipment classified as class 3B or class 4. It covers all applications of laser
beams on humans in, but not limited to, health-care facilities, cosmetic and hair removal
centres and dental practices, including applications in vehicles and domestic premises.
NOTE Although the scope excludes laser classes lower than class 3B and 4, it is appropriate to state, that
particu
...