AS/NZS 4173:2018

Specifies requirements for the safe use of lasers and laser systems as well as intense light sources in the treatment of humans for diagnostic, cosmetic, therapeutic, medical and dental uses in health care facilities, including hospitals, private medical facilities and dental practices, and the cosmetic industry.

This Standard specifies requirements for the safe use of lasers and laser systems as well as intense light sources (ILS) in the treatment of humans for diagnostic, cosmetic, therapeutic, medical and dental uses in health care facilities, including hospitals, private medical facilities and dental practices, and the cosmetic industry.NOTE: Information on lasers and ILS, and their properties, is provided in Appendix A.The Standard explains the procedural and administrative controls necessary for the safety of patients, health care staff, maintenance personnel, and others who may be in the vicinity of the treatment room and in need of protection against inadvertent exposure. Engineering controls are an important part of laser safety and form part of the laser equipment or the installation. These are briefly described to provide an understanding of the general principles of protection.Detailed specification of laser equipment, installation and engineering controls are not included in this Standard, such requirements being separately specified in AS IEC 60601.2.22.NOTES: 1 The principles of laser operation and the nature of the associated hazards are briefly described. Examples of specific guidelines for the safe use of lasers in a variety of clinical applications are given in Appendix B.2 Intense light sources (ILS) including intense pulsed light (IPL) and light-emitting diode (LED) are polychromatic but still may be an optical or thermal hazard. In particular, safety eyewear designed for laser use is not safe for use with ILS and the reverse. IPL equipment requirements are set out in AS IEC 60601.2.57.3 ILS other than IPLs also used in health care are included within the scope of this Standard as they are increasingly being used in photobiomodulation and phototherapy applications. A future edition or addendum to this Standard may be required as international standards relating to LED use in health care are developed.4 Guidance on biological effects is provided in Appendix D.

Originated as AS/NZS 4173:1994.

Previous edition 2004.

Third edition 2018.

Reissued incorporating Amendment No. 1 (March 2019).