NCJ Number
58104
Date Published
1977
Length
22 pages
Annotation
THE US ARMY ENVIRONMENTAL HYGIENE AGENCY DISCUSSES THE POTENTIAL EYE HAZARDS OF A LASER EQUIPPED LAW ENFORCEMENT RIFLE AND RECOMMENDS PRECAUTIONS TO AVOID EXCEEDING HAZARDOUS LEVELS OF RADIATION.
Abstract
THE AMERICAN INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION 180 LAW ENFORCEMENT RIFLE HAS A COMMERCIAL SPECTRA-PHYSICS HELIUM-NEON LASER MOUNTED BELOW THE BARREL AS A DETERRENT TO CRIMINALS CONFRONTED BY LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS. THE LASER SPOT INDICATES POINT OF IMPACT FOR THE RAPID FIRE, SMALL CALIBER RIFLE. THE BATTERY POWERED LASER EMITS A NARROW BEAM WITH A RADIANT ENERGY OF ABOUT .0031 WATT. THIS BEAM WAS FOUND TO BE HAZARDOUS TO NORMAL SIGHT UNDER CERTAIN CONDITIONS. UNPROTECTED EYES CAN BE ENDANGERED BY THE BEAM AT A DISTANCE OF 100 METERS IF IT IS VIEWED THROUGH OPTICAL INSTRUMENTS, AND DELIBERATE STARING INTO THE BEAM CAN BE DAMAGING TO THE EYE EVEN AT 490 METERS. OPERATORS CAN USE THE DEVICE SAFELY IF THEY ARE INFORMED OF THE POTENTIAL HAZARDS AND TAKE PRECAUTIONS. PRECAUTIONS RECOMMENDED INCLUDE NOT POINTING THE LASER AT THE UNPROTECTED EYES OF INDIVIDUALS WITHIN THE HAZARDOUS RANGES, NOT PERMITTING CONTINUOUS STARING INTO THE BEAM WITHIN 490 METERS, NOT POINTING THE BEAM AT SURFACES WITH MIRRORS WITHIN 4.5 METERS, AND INSTALLING AN APPROPRIATE WARNING LABEL COVERING THE CLOSE RANGE DANGER. IF THE RIFLE IS TO BE USED BY THE US ARMY FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT OR TACTICAL EXERCISES, THE BEAM POWER SHOULD BE REDUCED TO 0.0001 WATT OR OTHERWISE EXPANDED TO LIMIT THE POWER PASSING THROUGH A 7 MILLIMETER APERTURE (DILATED PUPIL) TO THAT LEVEL. ILLUSTRATIONS AND GRAPHS ARE INCLUDED, AND APPENDIXES TABULATE AND DESCRIBE CALCULATIONS USED TO DETERMINE THE LASER BEAM CHARACTERISTICS. (TWB)