Hazards

The main difficulty arising from this topic is related to the diversity of hazards experienced by the different people involved in laser utilization (users, researchers or maintenance staff).

This difficulty is even increased by the fact that a laser system not only presents hazards related to

• The optical beam, characterized by a high energy density on a small surface, (“spatial concentration”)

But also risks related to :

• The adjoining systems :

  • High voltage power supplies : electric hazard

  • Chemical hazard, specifically in the case of of dye lasers

  • Acoustic hazards

  • Hazard related to pressurized gas bottles.

Before going into the hazards presentation, here are some statistics which compare the laser sources provoking most of the accidents, and the most hazard-exposed peoples.