CE marking of laser products

By Kim Boll Jensen, Bolls Rådgivnings- & Testcenter

Today, more and more products use lasers, which is partly due to the fact that the laser diodes have become both powerful and stable, and that their price has become relatively low. That laser can be dangerous, most people are probably quite aware, but how laser products need to be approved, not many people know.

When a product uses lasers, additional requirements are made for safety and design, among other things. Both under the Machinery Directive, the Medico Directive and the Low Voltage Directive, there are specific standards describing requirements for laser products. Below is a list of these standards

Low voltage Directive 2006/95/EC

EN 60825-1:2007

Safety of laser products — Part 2: Safety of fibre optic communication systems

EN 60825-2:2004

Safety of laser products — Part 3: Safety of fibre optic communication systems

EN 60825-4:2004

Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC

Laser workplace monitors

EN ISO 12254: 2010

Lasers and laser-related equipment; Test methods for laser beam power, energy and temporal characteristics

EN 11554: 2008

Machine safety; Laser machining machines; Safety requirements

EN 11553-1: 2008 + EN 11553-2: 2008

Lasers and laser-related equipment; Minimum documentation requirements

EN 11252: 2008

Medicos Directive 93/42/EC

Special safety requirements for diagnostic and therapeutic laser equipment

EN 60601-2-22

Of these standards, EN 60 825-1 is the most commonly used and several of the standards also refer to it.