GB/T 7247.1-2024Safety of Laser Products - Part 1: Equipment Classification and Requirements (English PDF)

Foreword

This Document was drafted as per the rules specified in GB/T 1.1-2020 Directives for Standardization – Part 1: Rules for the Structure and Drafting of Standardizing Documents.

This Document is Part 1 of GB/T 7247 Safety of Laser Products. GB/T 7247 consists of the following parts:

--- Part 1: Equipment classification and requirements;

--- Part 2: Safety of optical fiber communication systems (OFCS);

--- Part 3: Guidance for laser display and shows;

--- Part 5: Manufacturer’s checklist for GB/T 7247.1;

--- Part 9: Maximum allowable exposure to incoherent optical radiation;

--- Part 13: Measurements for classification of laser products;

This Document replaces GB 7247.1-2012 Safety of Laser Products – Part 1: Equipment Classification and Requirements. Compared with GB 7247.1-2012, this Document has the major technical changes as follows besides the structural adjustments and editorial modifications:

--- Add the provisions on the applicability of vacuum ultraviolet wavelength, temporary visual impairment caused by laser radiation, and laser products designed for traditional lighting (see Clause 1 of this Edition);

--- Delete the terms and definitions: α minimum value, protective enclosure (see 3.5 and

--- Add the terms and definitions: angle of subtend, Class 1C laser products, contact mode, eye safety (see 3.6, 3.19, 3.27 and 3.37 of this Edition);

--- Change classification to classification rules and change the content (see Clause 4 of this

Edition; Clause 8 of the 2012 Edition);

emission levels and product classification; and change the content (see Clause 5 of this Edition; Clause 9 of the 2012 Edition);

(see Clause 6 of this Edition; Clause 4 of the 2012 Edition);

--- Change the marking content (see Clause 7 of this Edition; Clause 5 of the 2012 Edition);

--- Change the content of user information (see Clause 8 of this Edition; Clause 6 of the This Document equivalently adopts IEC 60825-1:2014 Safety of Laser Products – Part 1: Equipment Classification and Requirements.

1:2014/ISH2:2017 as informative appendix NA “Interpretation of Relevant Parts of IEC 60825”.

Please note some contents of this Document may involve patents. The issuing agency of this Document shall not assume the responsibility to identify these patents.

This Document was proposed by China Machinery Industry Federation.

This Document shall be under the jurisdiction of National Technical Committee on Optical Radiation Safety and Laser Equipment of Standardization Administration of China (SAC/TC 284).

Drafting organizations of this Document: Aerospace Information Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences; Beijing University of Technology; Norla Institute of Technical Physics; the 11th Research Institute of China Electronics Technology Group Corporation; Beijing TIRT Technology Service Co., Ltd.; National Institute of Metrology, China; Academy of Military Medical Sciences; China Electronics Standardization Institute; Han’s Laser Technology Industry Group Co., Ltd.; Wuhan Huagong Laser Engineering Co., Ltd.; Zhejiang Institute of Medical Device Testing; Zhijiang Lab; Shanghai Hesai Technology Co., Ltd.; and Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences.

Chief drafting staffs of this Document: Wu Aiping, Chen Hong, Ye Dahua, Qi Yan, Gao Hongwei, Deng Yuqiang, Yang Zaifu, Liu Yunzhu, Zeng Lixia, Zhou Xiaozhuang, Du Kun, Li Min, Ma Yunfeng, Yang Xuebo, Qiao Bo, Meng Ying, Yang Hua, Pu Jiangbo, Cheng Wang, Liao Lifen, Feng Jianguo, and Li Ting.

The historical editions replaced by this Document are as follows:

Introduction

energy and pulse characteristics of laser beams, the degree of potential hazards varies greatly when used; and laser products cannot be simply classified by unified safety limits. This Document aims to evaluate the classification system for the degree of optical radiation hazards of lasers and laser products and determine control measures.

--- Part 2: Safety of optical fiber communication systems (OFCS). The classification is based

on the degree of exposure to optical radiation under reasonably foreseeable fault conditions [such as optical cable breakage, loose (disconnected) optical fiber connectors, etc.]. It aims to specify the corresponding hazard level that occurs at accessible locations based on its extended and closed transmission characteristics, so as to determine the same safety protection measures.

that are used in similar venues such as theater projection and stage performances, an analysis is given of any possible occurrence during laser operation that exceeds the maximum permissible exposure (MPE) that may cause biological effects and hazards to the human eye and skin, it aims to clarify the responsibilities of on-site design, installation, operation and performance personnel, as well as risk control and assessment, so as to reduce risks.

temporary (such as during maintenance) laser protection screens used to enclose the working area of laser processing machines, as well as special laser protection screens; so as to prevent personnel around the processing area from being harmed by laser radiation.

inspection procedure to confirm whether the product complies with the classification and requirements of equipment specified in GB/T 7247.1, and to enhance the enforceability and operability of GB/T 7247.1 in use.

--- Part 8: Guidelines for safe use of lasers on the human body. It aims to provide guidance on how to incorporate safe laser use into medical laser practice, establish safety procedures, preventive measures and user control measures; and strengthen the need to establish a systematic safety framework system and training for all personnel involved in laser use.

MPE limits for controlling optical radiation exposure when artificial light sources of 180 nm to 3,000 nm illuminate human eyes and skin.

Information Transmission. It aims to provide guidelines for the manufacture of laser products and systems for point-to-point or point-to-multipoint free-space optical data transmission in the wavelength range of 180 nm to 1 mm, as well as safe use requirements to protect people from potentially hazardous optical radiation generated by FSOCSs.

--- Part 14: A users guide. It puts forward requirements for users to use laser products exceeding Class 1 and Class 2, aiming to help laser product users and their manufacturers understand the general principles of safety management, identify possible hazards, assess the harmfulness of potential hazards, establish and implement appropriate control measures.

--- Part 17: Safety of passive optical components and optical cables used in high optical power optical fiber communication systems. It aims to provide safety precautions for thermal effects, optomechanical effects and related effects for high optical powers above Class 3B operating in optical fiber communication systems, so as to prevent other safety issues for connectors, etc.

arrangement, installation, and use of light transmission systems, including free-space laser transmission and fiber-optic transmission, protective measures to be implemented to protect personnel from the hazards of laser radiation, and risk assessment methods.

reachable position (VCPHA) for laser products mounted on mobile platforms based on the platform movement conditions for evaluating laser hazards, so as to avoid overly strict evaluation of laser hazards while ensuring safety, and provides precautions for applying this condition.

eyes and face. It aims to consider the possible failure modes of consumer Class 1 laser products (such as facial or retinal/iris recognition, AR/VR/MR glasses/headsets, etc.) that directly irradiate the face or eye area; and adopts a safety-focused FMEA approach to provide risk-based analysis requirements to reduce the risk of potential damage to the eyes and face in the event of failure that may occur at any time during the expected service life of the product.

requirements for AECs and the methods that can be used to determine hazard classifications and verify that they are operating as intended.

1 Scope

This Document is applicable to safety of laser products emitting laser radiation in the wavelength range 180 nm to 1 mm.

Although lasers exist which emit at wavelengths less than 180 nm (within the vacuum ultraviolet), these are not included in the scope of the Document since the laser beam normally has to be enclosed in an evacuated enclosure, and, therefore, the potential optical radiation hazards are inherently minimal.

A laser product may consist of a single laser with or without a separate power supply or may incorporate one or more lasers in a complex optical, electrical, or mechanical system. Typically, laser products are used for demonstration of physical and optical phenomena, materials processing, data reading and storage, transmission and display of information, etc. Such systems have found use in industry, business, entertainment, research, education, medicine and consumer products.

Laser products that are sold to other manufacturers for use as components of any system for subsequent sales are not subject to this Document, since the final product will itself be subject to this standard. Laser products that are sold by or for manufacturers of end products for use as repair parts for the end products are also not subject to this Document. However, if the laser system within the laser product is operable when removed from the end product, the requirements of this Document apply to the removable laser system.

NOTE 1: Operable equipment does not require a tool to prepare for operation.

Any laser product is exempt from all further requirements of this Document if classification by the manufacturer of that product according to Clauses 4 and 5 shows that the emission level does not exceed the AEL (accessible emission limit) of Class 1 under all conditions of operation, maintenance, service and failure. Such a laser product may be referred to as an exempt laser product.

NOTE 2: The above exemption is to ensure that inherently safe laser products are exempt from Clauses In addition to the adverse effects potentially resulting from exposure to laser radiation, some laser equipment may also have other associated hazards, such as electricity, chemicals and high or low temperatures. Laser radiation may cause temporary visual impairment, such as dazzle and glare. Such effects depend on the task and ambient lighting level and are beyond the scope of this Document. The classification and other requirements of this standard are intended to address only the laser radiation hazards to the eyes and skin. Other hazards are not included within its scope.

This Document describes the minimum requirements. Compliance with this Document may not be sufficient to achieve the required level of product safety. Laser products may also be required to conform to the applicable performance and testing requirements of other applicable product safety standards.

NOTE 3: Other standards may contain additional requirements. For example, a Class 3B or Class 4 laser product may not be suitable for use as a consumer product.

Where a laser system forms a part of equipment which is subject to another IEC product safety standard, e.g., for medical equipment (IEC 60601-2-22), IT equipment (IEC 60950), audio and video equipment (IEC 60065), audio-video and IT equipment (IEC 62368-1), equipment for use in hazardous atmospheres (IEC 60079), or electric toys (IEC 62115), this Part 1 will apply in accordance with the provisions of IEC Guide 104 1) for hazards resulting from laser radiation. If no product safety standard is applicable, then IEC 61010-1 may be applied.

For ophthalmic instruments, to ensure patient safety, ISO 15004-2 should be consulted and the principles of the limits provided there should be applied for laser radiation (see also Annex C and D).

In GB 7247.1-2001, light-emitting diodes (LEDs) were included in the scope of it, and they may be still included in other parts of the IEC 60825 series. However, with the development of lamp safety standards, optical radiation safety of LEDs in general can be more appropriately addressed by lamp safety standards. The removal of LEDs from the scope of this Document does not preclude other standards from including LEDs whenever they refer to lasers. IEC 62471 may be applied to determine the risk group of an LED or product incorporating one or more LEDs. Some other (vertical) standards may require the application of the measurement, classification, engineering specifications and labelling requirements of this standard (IEC 60825-1) to LED products.

Laser products with accessible radiance below the criteria specified in 4.4, designed to function as conventional light sources, and which satisfy the requirements specified in 4.4 may alternatively be evaluated under the IEC 62471 series of standards, "Photobiological safety of lamps and lamp systems". Such a product remains within the scope of this part of IEC 60825, except that the above-described optical radiation emission need not be considered for classification.

The MPE (maximum permissible exposure) values provided in Annex A were developed for laser radiation and do not apply to collateral radiation. However, if a concern exists that 1) IEC Guide 104:2010, The preparation of safety publications and the use of basic safety publications and group safety publications.

accessible collateral radiation might be hazardous, the laser MPE values may be applied to conservatively evaluate this potential hazard, or the exposure limit values in IEC 62471 should be consulted.

The MPE values in Annex A are not applicable to intentional human exposure to laser radiation for the purpose of medical or cosmetic/aesthetic treatment.

NOTE 4: Informative Annexes A to G have been included for purposes of general guidance and to illustrate many typical cases. However, the annexes are not regarded as definitive or exhaustive.

The objectives of this Document are the following:

• to introduce a system of classification of lasers and laser products emitting radiation in the wavelength range 180 nm to 1 mm according to their degree of optical radiation hazard in order to aid hazard evaluation and to aid the determination of user control measures;

• to establish requirements for the manufacturer to supply information so that proper precautions can be adopted;

• to ensure, through labels and instructions, adequate warning to individuals of hazards associated with accessible radiation from laser products;

• to reduce the possibility of injury by minimizing unnecessary accessible radiation and to give improved control of the laser radiation hazards through protective features.