Laws on laser pens

aardvark · 3 Dec 2007 at 13:07

anything above 5mW can damage the eye and so will be classed as an offensive weapon. Anything above 5mW also becomes a class 3R laser and requires special regulations and safety precautions - which if you don't follow you could be prosecuted by the HSE.
None of these are very well regulated of course but if you do blind someone then you are looking at jail time as well as a private HSE prosecution that the person will no doubt follow.

Minto · 3 Dec 2007 at 13:47

aardvark said:
anything above 5mW can damage the eye and so will be classed as an offensive weapon. Anything above 5mW also becomes a class 3R laser and requires special regulations and safety precautions - which if you don't follow you could be prosecuted by the HSE.
None of these are very well regulated of course but if you do blind someone then you are looking at jail time as well as a private HSE prosecution that the person will no doubt follow.

I was going to post this!, 5mW is the max allowed in the UK, it's just never enforced.

penski · 3 Dec 2007 at 13:56

Someone remind me ask my gf later if I can borrow hers just to see how far a beam it projects...

*n

mattyfez · 3 Dec 2007 at 14:24

Kol said:
In all fairness, your side of the debate (rather than argument) has hardly had any strong points except weak sweeping generalisations. In any case, much like that and the posters probably very tongue in cheek comparison to your analogy, it's just like saying anything can be abused by chavs. Take mobile phones, necessity (by your reasoning)? Nope... just used by chavs for prank calling emergency services.

Which we both know isn't the case, much like the laser pens. Don't let a minority cloud your view.

equally dumb, there is no need for what i would call "industrial grade" lasers to be built into pen/keyring devices.

For the few that do need to use pointers for displays, there is safer and better tech available. (see my previous post)

Hand held laser devices that can cause blindness should be classed as firearms/offensive weapons AFAIC, and licenced accordingly.

Maccy · 3 Dec 2007 at 15:36

aardvark said:
anything above 5mW can damage the eye and so will be classed as an offensive weapon. Anything above 5mW also becomes a class 3R laser and requires special regulations and safety precautions - which if you don't follow you could be prosecuted by the HSE.
None of these are very well regulated of course but if you do blind someone then you are looking at jail time as well as a private HSE prosecution that the person will no doubt follow.

Thank you for answering my question.

I wasn't expecting a massive debate about this, probably best to have the thread closed.

PikeyPriest · 3 Dec 2007 at 15:39

mattyfez said:
equally dumb, there is no need for what i would call "industrial grade" lasers to be built into pen/keyring devices.

For the few that do need to use pointers for displays, there is safer and better tech available. (see my previous post)

Hand held laser devices that can cause blindness should be classed as firearms/offensive weapons AFAIC, and licenced accordingly.

Out of interest, are there any stats relating to the number of cases of blindness or irreversible sight damage due to laser pens? For all the talk of damage, i haven't heard of a single case.

Red and White · 3 Dec 2007 at 15:54

PikeyPriest said:
Out of interest, are there any stats relating to the number of cases of blindness or irreversible sight damage due to laser pens? For all the talk of damage, i haven't heard of a single case.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/29333.stm

penski · 3 Dec 2007 at 15:55

Maccy said:
I wasn't expecting a massive debate about this, probably best to have the thread closed.

Don't...It's too funny.

I'm blind in one eye so you should ban laser pointers.

I walk with a limp...Should we ban shoes?

*n

Tombo · 3 Dec 2007 at 16:06

Don't forget about Lasers for airsoft and such

I'm sure no chavs will be running around with those, I'm talking about the proper ones.

Muffin` · 3 Dec 2007 at 16:12

Tombo said:
Don't forget about Lasers for airsoft and such I'm sure no chavs will be running around with those, I'm talking about the proper ones.

What MW are those?

Tombo · 3 Dec 2007 at 16:16

[DW]Muffin;10613040 said:
What MW are those?

they're generally 5mw and below IIRC but the Green lasers can be 10mw (maybe more but I've not seen them.)

Muffin` · 3 Dec 2007 at 16:20

Tombo said:
they're generally 5mw and below IIRC but the Green lasers can be 10mw (maybe more but I've not seen them.)

Is there any need for them to be over 5MW?

Tombo · 3 Dec 2007 at 16:22

I don't know personally but it could very well me so they're visible in the day.

geeza · 3 Dec 2007 at 16:52

Red and White said:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/29333.stm

The dot on a 30mw can be seen a mile away. You can buy 350mw ones! (slightly more than 61 metres)

Dont really know the point in them but the beam looks nice at night and you can use to point out stars and draw on clouds

Kol · 3 Dec 2007 at 17:31

Red and White said:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/29333.stm

Is that all you have, a 10 year old out of date article? :confused:

Any peer reviewed work to criticially back up your side of the debate?

Just for the record, I'm not saying (and at no point have I) that I condone these ridiculously overpowered Chinese imports, merely that regulated laser pointers for the purposes as mentioned above serve a said purpose.

Clarkey · 3 Dec 2007 at 17:42

D.P. said:
cars aren't necessary, every drink apart from water isn't necessary. Showers aren't necessary. computers aren't necessary.

Indeed, if you are giving a presentation on a large screen to a big audience then a laser pointer is a must. Anyone flaffing around with a computer mouse will not be giving a good presentation.

What absolute rubbish, when i was at uni not a single one of my lecturers ever used a laser pen when giving presentations on very large projection screens. The material on screen is either from powerpoint or from the fancy digital OHP. With powerpoint you just use the mouse pointer, and with the OHP just point with a pen or a finger or something. No need at all for any kind of laser pointer.
As for your point about someone NOT using a laser pen can't be giving a good presentation this is total rubbish, when using the laser pen they have their back to you, really awesome presentation that way isn't it :/

Shoseki · 3 Dec 2007 at 17:43

penski said:
Don't...It's too funny.

I'm blind in one eye so you should ban laser pointers.

I walk with a limp...Should we ban shoes?

*n

I don't usually pick up on these things... but shoes are hardly going to make others lame or destroy your only chance to walk.

A laser in his other eye would make him permanently blind, don't mean to be Captain Obvious.

Tombo · 3 Dec 2007 at 17:51

Shoseki said:
A laser in his other eye would make him permanently blind, don't mean to be Captain Obvious.

You're saying that it would blind him then?

Red and White · 3 Dec 2007 at 18:09

Kol said:
Is that all you have, a 10 year old out of date article? Any peer reviewed work to criticially back up your side of the debate?

first thing i found. dont see how its any less relevant because of its age

penski · 3 Dec 2007 at 18:20

Shoseki said:
I don't usually pick up on these things... but shoes are hardly going to make others lame or destroy your only chance to walk.

A laser in his other eye would make him permanently blind, don't mean to be Captain Obvious.

But what relevance does his blindness have to a debate on laser pointers?

Was he blinded by a laser pointer? I guess not...Or he would have mentioned it.

*n