IEC/EN 60825-1 Safety of Laser Products - Part 1: Equipment Classification and Requirements

EUROLAB laboratory provides testing and compliance services within the scope of IEC/EN 60825-1 standard. The IEC/EN 60825-1 standard, prepared and published by the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), applies to the safety of laser products emitting laser radiation in the wavelength range from 180 nm to 1 mm. While lasers that emit at wavelengths less than 180 nm (in vacuum ultraviolet) exist, they are not covered by the standard as the laser beam must normally be enclosed in an evacuated enclosure and therefore potential optical radiation hazards are minimal in nature.

A laser product may consist of a single laser with or without a separate power source, or may contain one or more lasers in a complex optical, electrical, or mechanical system. Typically, laser products are used for displaying physical and optical phenomena, material processing, reading and storing data, transmitting and displaying information, etc. using for. Such systems have found use in industry, business, entertainment, research, education, medicine, and consumer products.

Laser products sold to other manufacturers for use as a component of any system for subsequent sales are not subject to EN IEC 60825-1 as the final product itself will be subject to this standard. Laser products sold by or for end-product manufacturers for use as repair parts for end-products are also not subject to EN IEC 60825-1. However, the requirements of this Chapter 1 apply to the removable laser system if the laser system inside the laser product is operational when it is removed from the end product. Operable equipment does not require a tool to prepare for operation.

Any laser product is exempt from all other requirements of this Part 1 if the classification by the manufacturer of that product indicates that its emission level does not exceed the AEL (reachable emission limit) of Class 1 under all operating conditions. Such a laser product can be called an exempt laser product.

In addition to the potentially negative effects of exposure to laser radiation, some laser equipment can have other hazards such as electricity, chemicals, and high or low temperatures. Laser radiation can cause temporary visual disturbances such as glare and glare. Such effects are task dependent and ambient lighting level and are beyond the scope of this Part 1. The classification and other requirements of this standard are intended to address laser radiation hazards to the eyes and skin only. Not covered by other hazards.

This section 1 describes the minimum requirements. Compliance with this part 1 may not be sufficient to achieve the required level of product safety. Laser products may also be required to comply with the applicable performance and testing requirements of other applicable product safety standards. Other standards may contain additional requirements. For example, a Class 3B or Class 4 laser product may not be suitable for use as a consumer product.

Where a laser system forms part of equipment subject to another IEC product safety standard for e.g. medical equipment (IEC 60601-2-22), IT equipment (IEC 60950 series), audio and video equipment (IEC 60065), audio-video and IT equipment (IEC 62368-1), equipment for use in hazardous environments (IEC 60079) or electrical toys (IEC 62115 ) shall be applied in accordance with the provisions of this chapter 1, IEC Guide 104 2. from laser radiation. If there is no applicable product safety standard, IEC 61010-1 may be applied.

In previous versions, light emitting diodes (LEDs) were covered by IEC 60825-1 and can still be included in other parts of the IEC 60825 series. However, with the improvement of lamp safety standards, the optical radiation safety of LEDs in general can be more appropriately addressed by lamp safety standards. The exclusion of LEDs from this part 1 does not prevent other standards from including LEDs when lasers are mentioned. IEC 62471 can be applied to identify the risk group of an LED or product containing one or more LEDs. Some other (vertical) standards may require the measurement, classification, engineering properties and labeling requirements of this standard (IEC 60825-1) to be applied to LED products.

The purposes of this part of IEC/EN 60825 are as follows:

• introduce a classification system for lasers and laser products that emit radiation in the wavelength range from 180 nm to 1 mm, according to their optical radiation hazard rating, to aid in hazard assessment and help determine user control measures;
• Identifying requirements for the manufacturer to provide information so that appropriate action can be taken;
• Provide adequate warning to individuals, through labels and instructions, of the hazards associated with accessible radiation from laser products;
• To reduce the possibility of injury by minimizing unnecessary accessible radiation and to provide enhanced control of laser radiation hazards through shielding features.

EUROLAB, with its more than 25 years of experience, state-of-the-art accredited laboratories and expert team, helps you get precise and fast results. Do not hesitate to contact our organization EUROLAB for your IEC/EN 60825-1 test.