Laser safety technology
We can now draw on over 30 years of practical experience in the field of laser safety technology.
Important facts in the field of laser technology
BGV B2 (in the past VBG 93)
Laser radiation (excerpt from the following version)
Despite careful examination, no liability is assumed for the content of the text. Please read the associated implementation instructions in the original standard carefully!
dated April 01, 1988
in the version dated January 01, 1997
with implementation instructions dated October 1995
ll. Definition
BGV B2 § 2
Definitions
- Laser equipment within the meaning of these accident prevention regulations are devices, systems or experimental setups with which laser radiation is generated, transmitted or used.
- For the purposes of this accident prevention regulation, laser equipment is any electromagnetic radiation with wavelengths in the range between 100 nm and 1 mm that is generated as a result of controlled stimulated emission.
- The class of a laser device within the meaning of this accident prevention regulation characterizes the hazard potential caused by the accessible laser radiation in accordance with the following conditions:
- Class 1 : The accessible laser radiation is harmless
- Class 2 : The accessible laser radiation is only in the visible spectral range (400 nm - 700 nm). It is harmless to the eye for short exposure times (up to 0.25 s).
- Class 3 A : The accessible laser radiation becomes dangerous to the eye if the radiation cross-section is reduced by optical instruments. If this is not the case, the laser radiation emitted in the visible spectral range (400 nm - 700 nm) is harmless for short exposure times (up to 0.25 s) and for long exposure times in the other spectral ranges.
- Class 3 B : The accessible laser radiation is dangerous for the eye and in special cases also for the skin.
- Class 4 : Accessible laser radiation is very dangerous to the eye and dangerous to the skin. Diffuse radiation can also be dangerous. Laser radiation can cause a fire or explosion hazard.
- The limit value of the accessible radiation in the sense of the accident prevention regulation is the maximum value that is permissible for a certain class according to the generally recognized rules of technology.
- The maximum permissible irradiation in the sense of the accident prevention regulation represents the limit value for harmless irradiation of the eye or skin.
- The laser range within the meaning of the accident prevention regulation is the range in which the values for the maximum permissible irradiation can be exceeded.
lll. Construction and finishes
BGV B2 § 3
General information
- The employer must ensure that laser equipment is designed in accordance with the provisions of this section lll.
- The following provisions apply to laser equipment falling within the scope of the Directive of June 14, 1989 on the approximation of the laws of the Member States relating to machinery (89 / 392 / EEC), as last amended by the Council Directive of June 20, 1991 (91 / 368 / EEC), and the Council Directive of November 30, 1989 concerning the minimum safety and health requirements for the use of work equipment by workers at work (89 / 655 / EEC).
- For laser equipment that falls under the scope of Directive 89 / 392 / EEC and is put into operation for the first time after December 31, 1992, the quality requirements of this section of Annex I of the Directive apply instead. The employer may only put these devices into operation for the first time if their conformity with the provisions of the Directive is proven by an EC Declaration of Conformity in accordance with Annex ll and the EC mark in accordance with Annex lll of the Directive.
- Paragraph 3 does not apply to laser equipment that meets the requirements of this section and was placed on the market before December 31, 1994.
- Laser equipment not covered by paragraph 3 must at least comply with the requirements of Directive 89 / 655 EEC by January 1, 1997 at the latest.
BGV B2 § 4
Laser facilities
- Laser equipment must be assigned to classes 1 to 4 and labeled accordingly. If the assignment requirements change, the class assignment and labeling must be changed.
- Laser equipment must be equipped with the protective devices required for safe operation in accordance with its class and use.
- Laser equipment of classes 2 to 4 must be set up in such a way that unintentional blasting is prevented.
- Optical devices for observation or adjustment on laser equipment must be designed in such a way that the limit value of accessible radiation for class 1 is not exceeded.
- Optical devices intended by the manufacturer to be used as attachments to laser equipment must, unless they are permanently installed in a classified laser device, be provided with information that can be used to assess the modification of the beam and exposure data of a laser source by the attachment.
- Class 1 to 3A laser equipment must be designed in such a way that it is not possible to fit attachments which would result in class 3B or 4 laser equipment.
Here is just an excerpt of the most important points from BGV B2. Please always read the current and original BG regulation. This regulation also deals with implementations in the so-called implementation instructions.
The BG information BGI 832 (ZH1 / 405) can also be consulted for this purpose; here the laser classes and the bypassing or application of the accident prevention regulation “Laser radiation” BGV B2 to new laser classes and MZB values according to DIN EN 60 825-1 (VDE 0837-1): 2001-11.
If you have any questions about laser safety, we will be happy to help and advise you.
Services in the field of laser safety technology
- Creation of safety concepts for laser processing machines
- hazard analysis
- Risk assessment
- Interfaces of different suppliers, especially of different laser processing systems or laboratory equipment, in particular the processing machines contained therein, which are controlled via CNC, PLC or PC
- Preparation of functional specifications
- Interface harmonization of different plant or machine sections
- Refurbishment of old systems or machines, i.e. we bring old systems or machines up to the latest state of the art
- Planning, project planning and setting up laser test laboratories
- If one or more lasers need to be connected to one or more processing stations
- The interconnection of lasers or laser processing machines if they are located in different laboratory rooms and their laser radiation is to be redirected to other rooms -> crossover interconnection
- Visualization of safety statuses via common bus systems or Ethernet
- Installation of additional laser devices or ballasts on your processing machine
- Scanner control
- Laser monitors
- Power meters
- Interface adaptation, even from third-party suppliers, i.e. the interconnection of different components, even if they do not appear to fit together electrically. Hurdles such as different voltage levels or circuit types (npn / pnp) can certainly be overcome.
- Designing special solutions
- Sensor adapter
- Used to connect a wide variety of measurement sensors to different measurement channels of real-time measurement systems. With the sensor adapter box, the channels can be freely plugged together or assigned to the respective sensor and that under voltage. Examples: Back reflection sensor, photodiode, laser analog output, ... .
We are certified by the University of Ulm
- Institute for Laser Technologies in Medicine and Metrology
Planning / Engineering / Consulting
Planning is the mental anticipation of future actions based on a forecast.
With specially developed security modules that can be combined with each other, we can respond quickly and easily even to complicated requirements.
Advantages of safety modules:
- Each module can be tested independently
- When changing safety requirements, only modified modules need to be tested for their function, not an entire safety controller
- Safety modules can be implemented in hardware and software solutions
- Enables faults in a system to be diagnosed quickly
- Predefined module functions allow a new system to be planned and offered quickly and easily
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