The EN207 standard is like the primary school education of laser safety and protection regulations (I would say kindergarten education, but that is not mandatory). It's not that you have to know it if you use lasers (that's what we are there for, we are Laser Safety Officers - RSL and we know how to evaluate the dangers of a laser and its protection measures), but it does apply to the most basic and immediate: eye protection against lasers.
Laser safety goggles come first, and from there on.
Importante: las gafas, según la normativa EN 207, deben soportar la radiación láser durante 5 segundos (salvo en la región 180-315 nm). Por encima de ese tiempo si la gafa se daña no se puede considerar que no haya cumplido con su cometido y especificación.
The UNE-EN 207 is the European standard that establishes the protection levels required for each laser. In Europe, LASER SAFETY GLASSES THAT DO NOT COMPLY WITH THIS EN 207 STANDARD CANNOT BE SOLD. So, you better forget about those cheap goggles you have seen on the web without any certification or guarantee.
From the standard itself: "This European Standard applies to eye protectors used for protection against accidental exposure to laser radiation, as defined in Standard 60825-1(...), in the spectral band between 180 nm (0.18 µm and 1,000 µm”.
The underline is mine, but note that the laser protection eyewear are not intended to look directly at the laser. We leave that to silent movies (?).
Important: according to EN 207, the laser safety goggles must withstand laser radiation for 5 seconds (except in the 180-315 nm range). After this time, if the goggle is damaged, it cannot be considered as not having fulfilled its purpose and specification.
In EN207 the LBn protection levels (n= 1-10) are different for different lambdas, or spectral ranges (as almost everything in life). So, it is not valid to say "I have laser safety goggles, they will work for any laser".
Depending on the duration of the laser pulses, there are also different ratings, even for the same wavelength:
- D: continuous lasers (CW) or with pulse duration longer than 0.25 s
- I: pulsed lasers with pulse duration between 0.25 s - 10-6 s (1 µs).
- R: pulsed lasers with pulse duration between 10-6 s (1 µs) - 10-9 s 1 ns)
- M: pulsed lasers with pulse duration less than 10-6 s (1 ns) (picosecond and femtosecond lasers, ultrafast).
And remember that the protection must be indicated on the laser protection goggles, not only on its case.
If in doubt, consult the Laser Safety Officer (LSO) of your institution or workplace.
If you need laser safety eyewear-goggles, we can assess the risk of your laser and recommend the most suitable filter (and frame) models.
