Product classification under the proposed IEC revisions

There is a proposal under consideration in the IEC laser safety committee to amend the IEC 825-1 standard to revise classification of laser and LED products. These changes will likely be minimal for equipment that completely encloses the laser beam paths. There may be, however, a significant impact on the classification of products that allow access laser energy. This paper presents the classification of typical laser products that may be affected by the IEC proposal. Products reviewed include: collimated lasers, construction lasers, bar code scanners, fiber output transmitters, visible and IR laser diodes, and LEDs. The paper contrasts classification of these products under the proposed revision with the applicable classes under the current IEC standard and the regulations from the U.S. Center for Devices and Radiological Health (CDRH).