This standard provides recommendations for the safe use of lasers and laser systems that operate at wavelengths between 180 nm and 1 mm.

Laser applications in the manufacturing environment include, but are not limited to, materials processing, fabrication, laser alignment, leveling, inventory, metrology, and machine vision.

The objective of this standard is to provide reasonable and adequate guidance for the safe use of lasers and laser sysems. A practical means for accomplishing this is first to

• (1) classify lasers and laser systems according to their relative hazards and then to
• (2) specify appropriate controls for each classification.

LIA Z136.7-2020 provides reasonable and adequate guidance for consumers and manufacturers of laser protective equipment.

This standard is intended for anyone selecting or testing laser protective materials. The ANSI Z136.7-2020 standard provides recommendations for testing and labeling laser protective materials and protective equipment such as eye protection, barriers, and windows designed for use with lasers and laser systems that operate at wavelengths between 180 nm and 10⁶ nm. All appendices are informative.

The newest in the series of Z136 standards, ANSI Z136.8, American National Standard for Safe Use of Lasers in Research, Development, or Testing, has arrived in response to the requirements of yet another rapidly growing area of laser use.

In what will be Laser Institute of America's latest offering in a range of vital resources for laser personnel, the ANSI Z136.8 standard arose from the increasing reliance on lasers in labs and other research-designated areas.

Highlights of the standard include guidance on a number of topics vital to R&D and testing users. These include the use of alignment eyewear, use of non-certified lasers, export controls, use of warning signs, the inclusion of sample audit forms for labs and program reviews, and deletion of some CDRH-based control measures.

Z136.8 was crafted to distinguish it from the parent ANSI Z136.1 document by detailing different laser-use locations, as well as noting two additional hazard analysis areas – beam path and beam interaction.

Please note: an appendix to this publication contains a reference to a location on the FDA website that is no longer valid. Please visit this location instead: https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cdrh/cfdocs/cfcfr/CFRSearch.cfm?FR=1040.10

After ten years, the long awaited revision of the ANSI Z136.6 Safe Use of Lasers Outdoors is here! This standard sees updates to nearly the entire document – expanding and modernizing the established topics and sections.

The 2015 revision of the ANSI Z136.6 Safe Use of Lasers Outdoors is the premier safety standard and a necessary tool for anyone operating a laser system in an open-air environment. This newly revised document provides guidance for the safe use of potentially hazardous lasers and laser systems (180 nm to 1 mm), where the establishment of open beam paths is necessitated. When used in conjunction with the ANSI Z136.1 Safe Use of Lasers, the Z136.6 ensures that your outdoor laser applications are in conformity with the latest safety guidelines.

This latest edition was created with the goal to update, clarify, and streamline an already established, recognized standard to better reflect today's outdoor laser operator's needs.

Some of the changes to the 2015 edition include:

• Single column format and index for improved readability and searchability, and color added to figures for ease of use.
• Added definition of "Control Measures" with explanation of preferred categories.
• Complete rewrite of the Control Measures section to include the removal of most manufacturer-specific requirements, and the addition of an expanded and standalone military-specific section.
• Metric unit standardization across the standard means no more pesky conversions.
• New definitions and expanded content for visual interference zones around airports and general critical tasks.
• FAA coordination requirements clarified.
• Laser hazard classification revised to include a comparison table between 2000 and 2014 version of ANSI Z136.1 and better explain the purpose and types of hazard classification.
• General section and formatting updates to better reflect today's jargon.

This standard provides guidance for the safe use of lasers in an outdoor environment. It covers product performance of lasers used outdoors including those that have been granted a variance or exemption from the provisions of the Federal product performance standard (21 CFR 1040). Products and applications covered:

• Laser Light Shows
• Military Lasers
• Lasers used for outdoor scientific research
• Wireless optical communications systems deployed outdoors

The standard also covers possible indirect hazards such as visual interference at night to pilots during take-off and landing.

Intended to be used in conjunction with the ANSI Z136.1.

This Recommended Practice provides guidance for optical measurements associated with laser safety requirements. The information contained in this document is intended to assist users who are entrusted with the responsibility of conducting laser hazard evaluations to ensure that appropriate control measures are implemented. It contains clearly written definitions, examples, and other practical information for manufacturers, laser safety officers, technicians, and other trained laser users.

This revision of the original 2005 standard harmonizes with the revised ANSI Z136.1 – 2007 Safe Use of Lasers standard, parent document and cornerstone of the ANSI Z136 laser safety standards series and the foundation of laser safety programs nationwide. Other changes include the addition of many new important terms and definitions as well as revised definitions from the 2005 standard. Significant revisions can also be seen in updated figures, tables and charts as well as revised and new sections throughout the standard.

Z136.5-2020 electronic version is a single-user PDF that provides reasonable and adequate guidance for the safe use of lasers in educational environments by evaluating and minimizing hazards associated with laser radiation.

Environments characteristic of educational institutions, wherein lasers may be found, include teaching laboratories, classrooms, lecture halls, science fairs, museums, and student projects on-and-off campus. This standard is intended for faculty and students using lasers at primary, secondary, and college levels of education, excluding graduate level research laboratories that are more comprehensively addressed by ANSI Z136.8 (latest revision) and Z136.1 (latest revision). The wavelength range of interest includes the ultraviolet (UV), visible, and infrared (IR) regions of the electromagnetic spectrum; specifically, the wavelength range from 180 nanometer (nm) to 1 millimeter (mm).

The ANSI Z136.3-2018 American National Standard for Safe Use of Lasers in Health Care serves as a guideline for all personnel who use or are exposed to a laser or laser system that is used as a medical device for a health care application. It is meant to aid in the establishment of medical laser safety policies, procedures and training programs, which keep both patients and staff safe from laser-related hazards.
With sections covering topics specific to health care facilities, such as endotracheal tube fires and infection control, this standard is a must-have for all Medical Laser Safety Officers (MLSOs).

The 2018 revision reflects current thinking and practice. Updates include:

• Refinement of the roles and responsibilities of the Laser Safety Officer (LSO), Deputy LSO (DLSO), Laser Safety Site Contact (LSSC), and Laser Safety Specialist (LSS), with additional information regarding these positions discussed in a new normative appendix
• Revised sections on laser plume
• Expanded guidelines for 3rd party laser rentals
• Introduction of the newly defined Class 1C, which includes laser products designed explicitly for contact application to the skin, i.e., intended for hair removal, skin wrinkle reduction, and acne reduction.

Designing a laser safety program can't be based on intuition. You need facts. You need the rules. You need the revised Z136.3 for Safe Use of Lasers in Health Care Facilities laser safety standard. The revised Z136.3 is recognized as the definitive document on laser safety in all healthcare environments.

The ANSI Z136.3 is a must for hospitals, medical centers, and clinics using medical laser systems.

The standard provides guidance for the safe use, maintenance, service, and installation of optical communications systems utilizing laser diodes or LEDs operating at wavelengths between 0.6 microns and 1 mm. Optical communication systems include end-to-end optical fiber-based links, fixed terrestrial point-to-point free-space links or a combination of both.