The Top 3 Factors To Consider When Selecting Laser Safety Glasses

With the significant damage lasers can cause to the eye, making sure you are wearing the proper laser safety glasses is critical. We have outlined three important factors that will help you determine which pair of laser safety glasses is ideal for you.

Frequency of the Laser

The first and most important consideration you need to make is finding out the frequency of the laser you are using. You can find this information in the laser’s instruction manual or on the serial plate of the laser. If the frequency of the laser can’t be found in either of these locations, you can always ask your laser safety officer. The frequency of the laser, also known as the wavelength of the laser, should be listed in nanometers. This information will help you to select the correct lens that will protect your eyes from the wavelength of your laser.

Optical Density

After determining the frequency of the laser, you should also find the recommended optical density of the laser. This information should be listed in the owner’s manual or technical instructions. Optical density measures how much the lens of the laser safety glasses blocks the light that is transmitted from a particular wavelength.

The higher the optical density, the more light from the wavelength is blocked. For example, laser safety glasses with an optical density of 7 will block all but .00001% of the laser frequency. When working with medical devices, most medical facilities recommend laser safety glasses with an optical density of 5 or more. It is perfectly acceptable to select laser safety glasses with a higher optical density than the owner’s manual of the laser requires. This will provide you with a greater level of protection.

Visible Light Transmission

One of the drawbacks of a high optical density lens is the decrease in visibility. Laser safety glasses with high optical densities tend to have darker lenses which can make it difficult to see in the laboratory. In order to avoid compromising a high optical density with decreased visibility, several companies have developed a lens that is clear, but still provides a high optical density.

We help to simplify the process of selecting a pair of laser safety glasses by listing the wavelength of the laser safety glasses cover, the optical density and the visible light transmission of each of the laser safety glasses.

Remember, if you have any doubt about which laser safety glasses you should use, you should ask your laser safety officer.