Localised laser hazard level warning in the R&D laboratory - Is it time to tell it like it is?

Quite frequently, laser experimentation in the R&D lab requires modification of the laser beam output such that the laser product classification is no longer relevant to the actual experiment. Thus it is possible to collimate the output of a Class 1M laser creating a Class 3B type laser hazard, and it is possible to expand the beam from a Class 3B laser so that it presents a Class 2M laser hazard. In both of these cases, the safety controls required may differ from those controls deemed appropriate for the laser product class e.g. expanding the beam from a Class 3B laser to become a Class 2M laser hazard might remove the need for personnel to wear eyewear in the laboratory during routine use of the equipment. This paper proposes that the practices described in IEC 60825-2 (OFCS) and IEC 60825-12 (FSOCS) be considered and applied in the laser R&D laboratory to warn personnel of the local laser beam hazard present in the system or experiment location rather than that of the class of the laser product instal...