Product Code: JLA_16_3_167

Authors:
Robert J. Thomas
Benjamin A. Rockwell
Air Force Research Laboratory, Brooks AFB, Texas 78235-5215

Wesley J. Marshall
USACHPPM, Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland 21010-5422

Robert C. Aldrich
Mary F. Gorschboth
Sheldon A. Zimmerman
Dahlgren Division, Naval Surface Warfare Center, Dahlgren, Virginia 22448-5100

R. James Rockwell
Rockwell Laser Industries, Cincinnati, Ohio 45243

Over the past few years, a comprehensive rewrite of the American National Standard for Safe Use of Lasers (ANSI Z136.1) has been conducted [American National Standards Institute, Z136.1-2000 American National Standard for Safe Use of Lasers (American National Standards Institute, New York, 2000)]. Important parts of many laser safety evaluations are the determination of the maximum distance at which the laser presents a hazard and the computation of optical density requirements for eye protection. In the ANSI Z136.1-2000 Standard, two approaches for the computation of hazard distance are presented. We specifically address the derivation of these two methodologies including the effects of atmospheric attenuation and optically aided viewing. In addition, these methodologies may be applied to the computation of visual interference distance as described in the ANSI Z136.6-2000 Standard [American National Standards Institute, Z136.6-2000 American National Standard for Use of Lasers Outdoors (American National Standards Institute, New York, 2000)]. This publication represents the third in a series of tutorial articles designed to clarify laser hazard analysis procedures under these ANSI Standards [R. J. Thomas, B. A. Rockwell, W. J. Marshall, R. C. Aldrich, S. A. Zimmerman, and R. J. Rockwell, Jr., J. Laser Appl. 13, 134–140 (2001); 14, 57–66 (2002)]. © 2004 Laser Institute of America.