Our lighting technology makes use of a laser combined with a nano-active optical fiber. Although the laser light is efficiently converted to a safe high-quality light, specific safety measures have been taken into account across all the designing, manufacturing, and controlling steps of our products to ensure the delivery of safe and efficient lighting products. This article explains the key regulation involved and how we ensure the design of safe lighting products that exhibits the highest safety standard of the market.
What is a laser device?
LASER is the acronym for “Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation”. As opposed to “ordinary” light, such as the one emitted by a light bulb, the light generated by a laser is characterized by a narrow frequency spectrum (monochromatic), by a high emission power, and by a beam that remains collimated over long propagation distances.
Thanks to these remarkable properties, lasers find important applications in a wide range of fields. Among the most common, we can mention measurement and control technologies, materials processing, data communication, and medicine. This shows that the laser has succeeded in establishing itself as a key instrument for high-tech technology.
Figure 1: Laser technology used in scanning barcodes
Figure 2: Laser technology used to correct the vision of patients.
Figure 3: Laser technology used to modify the shape of materials.
Despite these advantages, laser light may induce several health hazards. Without the benefit of appropriate or adequate knowledge, the end-user may use laser devices improperly, potentially resulting in mild skin burns up to irreversible injury to the skin and eye. This underlines the importance of understanding the different risks associated with the utilization of lasers in general.
The hazard level of direct laser light depends on the combination of many factors such as the output optical power, the size/shape of the beam, the wavelength, or the operation mode – pulsed or continuous -, thus rendering its evaluation quite complex. For this reason, and to allow a quick and straightforward safety risk assessment by the user, lasers are sorted into different classes, labeled 1 to 4, from the safest to the less safe.
In L.E.S.S. products, laser light is not used as direct lighting but is used indirectly to generate and distribute colored light through a nano-active fiber. However, as with any product using a laser, key design measures have been taken to ensure the highest grade of safety (i.e. lower risk category) when using our products, as specified by the international lighting standards: the IEC 60825-1:2014 and the EN61471:2006.
What does a “laser Class 1” label mean (ICE 60825-1:2014)?
This classification is universally adopted and defined in the international standard IEC 60825-1. For the end-user, it is essential to understand the level of risk or safety related to the different classes and to take the appropriate measures to prevent any accident.
Table 1 below summarizes the different laser device classes together with the associated risks and the corresponding protective measures. In particular, a “laser class 1” represents the safest class, classified as “no risk” and demanding “no protective measures” according to the ICE 60825-1:2014.
| Laser Class | Risks | Protection measures | Application examples |
| 1 | None, even for prolonged viewing of the beam | None | L.E.S.S. products, laser printer |
| 1M | Same as Class 1 if used without optical instrument (e.g. magnifying lens) | No staring at the beam through optical instruments | DVD player |
| 2 | No risk for short exposure time guaranteed by blink reflex | No staring at the beam | Presentation laser pointer, barcode reader |
| 2M | Same as Class 2 if used without optical instrument | No staring at the beam | Measurement instruments |
| 3R | Limited risk of injury | Restricted to qualified people, Eye protection | Laser scanners |
| 3B | Hazardous for direct viewing | Similar to 3R | Spectrometry, entertainment light shows |
| 4 | Diffusive reflection dangerous for the eye and skin, substances ignition possible | Similar to 3 + Restricted area | Industrial cutting, welding, Medical (surgery), and scientific applications |
Table 1. Laser classification according to the ICE 60825-1:2014
All our inspection lighting products are classified as Class 1 representing the safest laser product class, classified as “no risk” and demanding “no protective measures” according to the ICE 60825-1:2014 (green column in Table 1).
What does a “GR0” label mean (EN61471:2006)?
This classification is universally adopted and defined in the international standard EN61471:2006. For the end-user, it is essential to assess the photobiological safety related to the different classes of lightings independently to the fact that they use a discharge tube, LEDs, or a laser and to take the appropriate measures to prevent any accident.
Specifically, the norm defines a set of hazards and associate them to intensity thresholds within specific frequency bands of the light source. These hazards and thresholds are summarized in the table hereunder.:
| GR0 | GR1 | GR2 | |
| No risk | Low risk | Moderate risk | |
UV actinic (W/m2)
| < 0.001 | < 0.003
| < 0.03 |
Near UVA (W/m2)
| < 0.001 | < 33 | < 100 |
Blue Light (W/m2sr)
| <100 | < 10000 | < 4000000 |
| Blue light for small source (W/m2) | <0.01 | < 1.0 | < 400 |
| Thermal retinal (W/m2sr) | < 28000/a | < 28000/a | < 71000/a |
| Thermal retinal, weak visual stimulus (W/m2sr) | < 6000/a | < 6000/a | < 6000/a |
| Infrared for eye (W/m2) | < 100 | < 570 | < 3200 |
Table 2. Group of photobiological risk induced by lighting products according to the EN61471:2006
All our inspection lighting products are classified as Class 1 representing the safest laser product class, classified as “no risk” and demanding “no protective measures” according to the ICE 60825-1:2014 (green column in Table 1).
How do we ensure the safety of our product?
End-user safety is the key driver in all our developments. Everyone in our team is involved to ensure our product will be and will remain safe from conception until its end of life. This is a key point addressed through our product integrity process which allows us to identify and treat all the potential risks, including the specific risks linked to our laser technology.
Thus, our products have been developed with two safety systems (optoelectronics and mechanical) in order to guarantee the highest safety to the end-user through a laser product class 1 classification according to IEC 60825-1.
From the optoelectronics side, a safety electronic is constantly monitoring the light emission and will turn off instantaneously the light source if any system dysfunction is detected. From the mechanical side, a mechanical interlock guarantees no access to the laser source in case of maintenance and/or other exterior access.
Our products
Our lighting systems have been designed with great consideration for the safety of our customers. We have made sure that their utilization does not require any special precautions by the user.
From workplace lamps to the design of the most advanced signal lighting for car illumination, L.E.S.S. offers a wide range of products. Our lighting systems are designed with an emphasis on safety while offering highly precise and efficient lighting sources. More specifically, all our lighting systems follow the same safety measures whatever the optical properties, color, uniformity, and directionality characteristics
Are you interested in using our lighting products that offer either one or all of the directional, diffuse, and uniform lighting configurations in a modular way and in experiencing precise, consistent, and safe lighting conditions on all your manufacturing and quality processes, contact us at L.E.S.S. for more details (info@less-sa.com, + 41 21 552 07 10).
