• Why Laser Safety?

Even at lower power output levels, it is possible to cause irreversible ocular injury from a single accidental exposure to a direct or reflected laser beam, depending on the wavelength, output and exposure duration. Laser safety can prevent damage to equipment as well. An important factor in determining damage potential is irradiance, the power per area, expressed in watt/cm2.

• Daylight Transmission (VLT) and Color Vision

When we wear laser safety glasses, some wavelengths of the spectrum that would normally reach our eyes are filtered out. If we block light from the visible region, this inevitably changes our perception of our environment. First, the attenuation of transmission in the environment increases, causing a darkening effect—similar to the effect of sunglasses. Second, blocking certain wavelengths will change our perception of color.