Laser show safety for smaller shows: The ILDA category a laser show standard

The International Laser Display Association has developed a “Category A Standard” for laser shows that ILDA considers to be generally recognized as safe under the conditions of the laser show's intended use. ILDA considers the chance of injury (hazardous effect or adverse biological change) from a laser show performed according to the Category A requirements, to be vanishingly small. There are three main goals: Providing comprehensive, easy-to-understand guidance for persons doing small-scale indoor laser shows.Working towards ANSI adoption of similar requirements, which in turn may lead to……FDA being able to relax variance requirements for shows that meet Category A-type requirements. Specifically, it may be possible for FDA to allow Category A-type shows to not need to apply for an FDA variance in advance. This makes it easier to do shows, while FDA still retains control over the safety of these shows. (If a show violates the Category A requirements, FDA can issue various punishments and fines just as they do today.) Category A requirements include: A limit on laser power (currently 6 watts in the draft version); no unterminated beams; all termination points must be visible to the Laser Operator and/or Laser Spotter(s); no human exposure to light from Class 3B or 4 lasers; continuous monitoring of all beam paths, locations and termination points during laser operation; advance consideration of potential problems and how to mitigate them; keeping a log of laser usage; required training for the Category A Laser Safety Officer and Laser Operator; and required training or instruction for Laser Spotters and Laser Personnel. The Category A Laser Safety Officer shall take an in-person or online laser safety course and shall pass a test prior to operating a Category A Laser Show. If a laser show conforms to the ILDA Category A Laser Show Standard, ILDA will not object to the show, regardless of whether it meets governmental reporting requirements such as having a variance. Also discussed is an option for FDA to require all shows to be video recorded, with the video kept for 1 year. If there is a problem with a show or an operator, FDA can “pull the tapes” to review the footage. If a show operator does not have video, that is evidence of violating the Category A-type requirements and a fine or other punishment can be issued. In this way, the video is like an always-available inspector.