Update of national standard for the safe use of lasers outdoors

Lasers are frequently used in an outdoor setting. Guidance is provided in t his new draft American National Standard for this use. Unlike lasers used i ndoors, the user does not have complete control of the space encompassing t he entire laser beam since light beams continue until they are stopped by a n opaque object. The draft standard discusses proper coordination with loca l and Federal authorities so that lasers can be used outdoors in a safe man ner. The development of the standard was prompted to satisfy both the need by the Department of Defense for a consensus standard, and the need to reso lve safety conflicts between the laser light show industry and pilots who w ould occasionally fly through a demonstration laser beam. The standard has been under development for the past 4 years and publication may be as soon as this year. (C) 1999 Laser Institute of America. [S1042-346X(99)00705-6].