5 out of 6 Laser Pointers Pose Risk of Eye and Skin Damage

Consumer Agency, Results of Market Product Survey

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Chun-han] Recently, laser pointers have become commonly used in daily life, but it has been found that many products are strong enough to damage eyesight or skin.

On the 22nd, the Korea Consumer Agency announced that out of six laser pointer products sold on the market, five did not meet safety standards.

According to the Electrical Appliances and Household Goods Safety Control Act, only Class 1 or Class 2 portable laser products can be sold. Class 1 refers to products safe even when looking directly at the laser light for a long time. Class 2 refers to products with a wavelength of 400?700 nm that are safe for momentary human exposure but dangerous if stared at intentionally.

All five problematic products were classified as Class 3B, which can cause serious injury to eyes and skin even with brief exposure to the laser beam. Among these, three products misrepresented their class, and one product did not indicate its class at all.

Among laser rangefinder products mainly used on golf courses, some were also found to pose a risk of bodily harm. Currently, laser rangefinders are not subject to safety management by authorities. However, the National Institute of Technology and Standards has prepared a revised safety standard to allow only Class 2 or lower laser rangefinder products to be sold, in accordance with European Union and Japanese standards, and has completed administrative notification.

Out of six laser rangefinder products surveyed, two were classified as Class 3R, which is dangerous if the laser beam is directly exposed to the eyes. Importers of the laser products found to be problematic have all agreed to stop selling these products.

The Consumer Agency stated, "We plan to request the National Institute of Technology and Standards to strengthen safety management and supervision of high-power laser pointers," and added, "Regardless of product class, please be careful not to point laser beams at people."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.