Procedure for the computation of hazards from diffusely scattering surfaces under the Z136.1-2000 American National Standard for Safe Use of Lasers

The current national consensus standard for laser safety in the United States is the American National Standard for Safe Use of Lasers (ANSI Z136.1). The most recent standard, Z136.1-2000, incorporates a wealth of recent bioeffects data and established a number of new maximum permissible exposure (MPE) limits for laser safety. The standard also includes recent procedures for the computation of MPE values from large or extended diffusely scattering sources, which must be understood by health physicists, laser safety officers, and others in the field of occupational safety. Here we present the fourth in a series of tutorial articles, written to clarify laser safety analysis procedures under this standard, with an emphasis on the MPE computation methods related to extended sources, and the determination of nominal hazard zones.