Safety Glasses

[glenboy]

Hi All,

Just looking for some advice on safety glasses for CO2 lasers (I have LS3020). Safety is often overlooked in the home environment or when you need to "get a job done" but you only get one set of eyes.

I never run my machine with the lid up and assume that any scattered radiation is absorbed by the acrylic window. However, just wanted some opinions/advice on wearing laser safety glasses whenever the laser is on. What do others do?

You cant put a value on your eyes, and I'll be purchasing a pair suitable for CO2 lasers when they are back in stock at HPC. Does anyone know when they will be back in stock?

My thought is that the bright light emitted by the laser cutting the material would be more of a concern (like a welders tourch).

Any thoughts/ramblings/lecturing welocme!

Glen

[Spooky]

Hiya Glen,

In reality scattered radiation isn't much of a problem as the wavelength of CO2 lasers is almost fully absorbed by the acrylic window of the machine. Laser safety glasses are more of a requirement with things such as laser pointers that can be directed or moved easily.
The bright scattering of the actual cut again is mostly dealt with by the tinted window of the machine and is a little different to the UV scattering of electrical welding.
If you feel a need for safety glasses then they are a great idea but always remember that good ,safe working practice is far safer than relying on ancillary aids to protect you.

Eye safety is the main reason both Dave and I will not allow safety switch modification posts here and delete them whenever they appear (surprisingly quite often).

Eye protection is a great idea and I highly recommend it however if working practices get to a stage where people need them then lasers really aren't something they should be playing with (not meaning you as in *you* but You as a general term:))

As to stock?? no idea, Chris is the man to ask.

best wishes

Dave

[tweakie]

Hi Glen,

These are what I wear when experimenting or aligning etc. - you can never be too careful and one unwanted reflection could happen. I always think it is like entering a construction site without wearing a hard hat - nobody is actually going to drop a brick on your head but is it worth the risk??

I have often thought about 'Arc-Eye' when looking at the point of impact but have never suffered anything detrimental over the last 3 years so conclude that it can be ignored. Having said that common sense prevails and looking into any bright light for a prolonged period of time should always be avoided.

Tweakie.

[glenboy]

Cheers Dave and Tweakie,

Your comments confirm what I had been thinking and put my mind at ease. Good to have some agreement/confirmation. Where did you buy your glasses from Tweakie?

Totally agree that safe working practices are your number 1 line of defence.

Thanks for keeping us safe with your moderation Dave! This forum is a great wealth of information - credit to you and Dave for keeping it that way!

All the best,
Glen

[tweakie]

Hi Glen,

My goggles were purchased on ebay - new from Israel.

All laser safety glasses have an OD rating for the wavelength of the laser they are intended to be used with (in general the higher the OD the better) mine were purchased for use with 1064nm YAG but the 10.6um CO2 wavelength is still within their rating so check before you buy that your intended purchase is good for 10.6um.

Tweakie.

[MC Design]

paranoia is taking over haha, can anyone confirm that the I do not need the glasses when the machine is closed and running as the acrylic stops any harmful stuff hitting my eyes?
I do not operate the machine open.
So i dont need to worry about these other than perhaps the 'arc eye' effect?