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Series / Report no.
Open Access
Type
Report
Language
nl
Date
2000-10-20
Research Projects
Organizational Units
Journal Issue
Title
Toepassing en gezondheidsrisico's van
amusementslasers
Translated Title
Application and human health risks of laser
displays
Published in
Abstract
De aard en omvang van lasertoepassingen voor
amusementsdoeleinden is geinventariseerd om na te gaan of en zo ja in welke
mate gebruik van lasers voor shows en in pretparken en discotheken leidt tot
gezondheidsrisico's voor het publiek. Bij de vier showproducenten die de
Nederlandse markt domineren, stonden in 1999 in totaal 45 lasers. Het
aantal shows per producent per jaar varieert van 20 tot 450. Het aantal
bezoekers per show bedraagt 20 tot 350.000. Voor lasershows worden
hoofdzakelijk klasse-4 lasers toegepast, die bij onoordeelkundig gebruik
risico's voor het publiek kunnen opleveren. Incidenten komen in Nederland
uiterst zelden voor. Veiligheidsmaatregelen die door lasershowproducenten
worden getroffen, betreffen onder andere het afschermen van de bundel door
een sluiter bij een technische storing. In tegenstelling tot het
buitenland, bestaat er in Nederland geen regelgeving voor het geven van
lasershows en het waarborgen van de laserveiligheid voor het publiek en de
luchtvaart. Uit metingen van derden is gebleken dat bij het richten van
laserbundels in het publiek ('audience scanning') maximaal toegelaten
niveaus kunnen worden overschreden. Een recent gestart Engels onderzoek
moet uitsluitsel geven over de vraag of voor deze toepassing aanvullende
veiligheidsmaatregelen wenselijk zijn.
An inventory was made of the kind of laser applications used for entertainment purposes and the extent to which they are used. The aim was to check whether the use of lasers for displays in funfairs and discotheques might lead to health risks for the public and, if so, to what extent. The four producers dominating the laser display market operated a total of 45 lasers in 1999. The number of displays per producer per year varies from 20 to 450. The number of visitors varies between 20 and 350,000 per display. Class 4 lasers constitute the major category used for laser displays. If these lasers are used injudiciously, they may pose a risk to the public. Incidents, however, rarely occur in the Netherlands. Safety measures employed by laser show producers are, for example, stopping the beam by means of a shutter in the case of a technical malfunction. Contrary to foreign countries, no rules exist in the Netherlands for operating laser displays to guarantee the safety of the public and aviation. Measurements have shown that maximum permissible exposure values can be exceeded when audience scanning (focusing the laser beams on the public) is used. A British study recently started up may provide a decisive answer to the question on whether additional safety measures should be advised for this specific application.
An inventory was made of the kind of laser applications used for entertainment purposes and the extent to which they are used. The aim was to check whether the use of lasers for displays in funfairs and discotheques might lead to health risks for the public and, if so, to what extent. The four producers dominating the laser display market operated a total of 45 lasers in 1999. The number of displays per producer per year varies from 20 to 450. The number of visitors varies between 20 and 350,000 per display. Class 4 lasers constitute the major category used for laser displays. If these lasers are used injudiciously, they may pose a risk to the public. Incidents, however, rarely occur in the Netherlands. Safety measures employed by laser show producers are, for example, stopping the beam by means of a shutter in the case of a technical malfunction. Contrary to foreign countries, no rules exist in the Netherlands for operating laser displays to guarantee the safety of the public and aviation. Measurements have shown that maximum permissible exposure values can be exceeded when audience scanning (focusing the laser beams on the public) is used. A British study recently started up may provide a decisive answer to the question on whether additional safety measures should be advised for this specific application.
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