• Breaking: Changes to EN 60825-1:2014+A11:2021
• New Edition of ANSI Z136.5 Now Available
• May 2021 ILSC Conference Postponed
• 2021 Industrial Laser Safety Course Schedule
• Product Focus: Laser Sentry Entryway Control System
• Featured Consulting Service: Laser Enclosure Design and Manufacturing

Breaking: Changes to EN 60825-1:2014+A11:2021

Manufacturers exporting their products to Europe, and anyone importing laser products from Europe, should be aware that, for the first time in many years, European British standards are not identical to the IEC version.

Since IEC Interpretation Sheets cannot apply directly to European Standards, the standard must be amended. This means that the amendments made to the European version EN 60825-1:2014+A11 now make it different than the IEC version. Most of the amendment to EN 60825-1:2014+A11 relate to the Interpretation Sheets, which can be downloaded for free from the IEC website.

Some deviations include:

• Changes to the text of the Standard relate to the proposed EN 506891 ‘Safety of laser products – Particular Requirements for Consumer Laser Products’. This means that there are two new definitions: for a consumer laser product and a general laser product. There is also a new Clause 9.5 covering consumer laser products.
   
• The notes to AEL tables have been amended to provide more advice on how to deal with the wavelength range 1250 nm to 1400 nm.
   .
• Perhaps the most significant change is that there is now a specific requirement that all laser products shall be Class 1 unless there are reasons why this is not feasible. Even if the product cannot be made Class 1, it shall be in the lowest laser class possible.

For more information about these and other changes, please contact an RLI Standards Specialist by email, or call us at (800) 94-LASER.

New Edition of ANSI Z136.5 Now Available

The ANSI Z136.5 "Safe Use of Lasers in Educational Institutions" Standard applies to learning environments from grade school through college. With 38% more content, this new edition was written with the educator and student in mind and provides much more structured guidance.

New content includes:

• New and updated definitions and acronyms
   
• More detailed information on laser pointers and their safe use
   
• Improved guidance on appropriate lasers respective of educational class levels
   
• Current warning signs, compliant with ANSI Z535 and ISO 3864 with example lab layouts in color
   
• New figures and examples in color illustrating exposure conditions and hazard evaluations
   
• More detailed information on the organization and implementation of laser safety and training programs
   
• Expanded safety guidance on demonstration lasers with the public
   
• Updated tables that include Maximum Permissible Exposures (MPEs) and Nominal Ocular Hazard Distances (NOHD)

For more information regarding this standard, please contact an RLI Representative via email or by calling (800) 94-LASER.

May 2021 ILSC Conference Postponed

The International Laser Safety Conference (ILSC®), scheduled for May 3 - 6, 2021 in New Orleans has been postponed.

Event organizers are closely monitoring the COVID-19 pandemic as future plans are being discussed. They are looking at options in February and March of 2022 and will have information on a new location coming soon as well. Watch for emails or visit the ILSC Website for more details. RLI will also provide more information as it becomes available.

Developed and taught by the leading experts in the field, RLI training courses have been recognized as the best in the industry.

RLI also offers Online Industrial Laser Safety Courses and On-site Industrial Laser Safety Officer Courses that can be held at your facility.

For more information regarding our training courses, please contact a training representative via email or call us at (800) 94-LASER.

Laser Sentry Entryway Control System

Rockwell Laser Industries offers a broad line of control systems and accessories that allow the facility Laser Safety Officer to more easily implement the ANSI Z136 based requirements for a laser controlled area. The cornerstone of these products is the RLI Laser Sentry™ Entryway Control Unit, a microprocessor based entryway control system.

Laser Sentry accessories include warning signs such as the the RLI Bi-Lume™ or Tri-Lume™ along with the traditional Illuminated warning sign. There are also a wide selection of entryway control components including entryway numerical access and push button entryway controls, doorway interlocks, magnetic door locks, emergency control switches and other similar entryway and area controls.

A typical installation may be completed in a few hours with a single Laser Sentry™ control unit, a few standard burglar alarm/door access control components, and multi-conductor low voltage control wire.

For more information regarding the Laser Sentry Entryway Control System, please contact an RLI sales representative via email or by calling (800) 94-LASER.
 

Laser Enclosure Design and Manufacturing

RLI offers custom design and manufacturing of laser enclosures for either manually operated or fully automated installations.

RLI can also assist those producing their own enclosures to ensure that all proper regulations and control measures are satisfied.

Services include:

For more information regarding our enclosure design and manufacturing, please contact Nancy Mauro via email or by calling (800) 94-LASER.
 

For more information regarding our laser safety products, training courses and consulting services, please contact us by email, or call us at (800) 94-LASER.