Update of national standard for the safe use of lasers outdoors

Lasers are frequently used in an outdoor setting. Guidance is provided in this new draft American National Standard for this use. Unlike lasers used indoors, the user does not have complete control of the space encompassing the entire laser beam since light beams continue until they are stopped by an opaque object. The draft standard discusses proper coordination with local and Federal authorities so that lasers can be used outdoors in a safe manner. 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 resolve safety conflicts between the laser light show industry and pilots who would 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.