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Laser classes: FDA and OSHA wording and the class on each machine
The FDA sorts laser products into hazard classes I to IV. This page lists the FDA wording for each class, OSHA's wording on Class IV lasers and the laser class listed for 12 desktop laser machines. Glowforge lists the Aura as a Class 1 product containing an embedded Class 4 laser.
FDA hazard classes
The FDA states:
The higher the class, the more powerful the laser is and the greater the potential to pose serious injury if used improperly.
Source: FDA (CDRH): Laser Products and Instruments
| FDA class | IEC class | FDA wording |
|---|---|---|
| I | 1, 1M | Considered non-hazardous. Hazard increases if viewed with optical aids, including magnifiers, binoculars, or telescopes. |
| IIa, II | 2, 2M | Hazard increases when viewed directly for long periods of time. Hazard increases if viewed with optical aids. |
| IIIa | 3R | Depending on power and beam area, can be momentarily hazardous when directly viewed or when staring directly at the beam with an unaided eye. Risk of injury increases when viewed with optical aids. |
| IIIb | 3B | Immediate skin hazard from direct beam and immediate eye hazard when viewed directly. |
| IV | 4 | Immediate skin hazard and eye hazard from exposure to either the direct or reflected beam; may also present a fire hazard. |
The FDA also states that laser products must meet the performance standards in 21 CFR Parts 1010 and 1040. It adds:
no controls are completely effective if lasers are improperly used.
OSHA on Class IV lasers
Class IV : High power lasers (cw: 500 mW, pulsed: 10 J/cm 2 or the diffuse reflection limit) are hazardous to view under any condition (directly or diffusely scattered) and are a potential fire hazard and a skin hazard. Significant controls are required of Class IV laser facilities.
Source: OSHA: OSHA Technical Manual, Section III, Chapter 6: Laser Hazards
On eyewear, the same chapter states that protective devices:
shall be used when engineering controls are inadequate to eliminate the possibility of potentially hazardous eye exposure
Laser class listed for each machine
| Machine | Laser class listed |
|---|---|
| Glowforge Spark | Not listed on the spec page (UL 62368-1 certification listed) |
| Glowforge Aura | Class 1 laser product containing an embedded Class 4 laser |
| Glowforge Plus / Plus HD | Class 1 |
| Glowforge Pro / Pro HD | Class 4 |
| xTool S1 40W | Class 1 on the Stemfinity listing. xTool does not list a class for the module. |
| xTool S1 20W | Not listed for the module |
| xTool S1 10W | Not listed for the module |
| xTool P2S | Class 4 and Class 1 variants |
| xTool P3 | Not listed |
| Creality Falcon2 Pro 40W | Class 1 (FDA) on the Creality Falcon page |
| Creality Falcon2 Pro 22W | Class 1 (FDA) on the Creality Falcon page |
| OMTech Polar Lite 55W | Class 1 on the Penn Tool Co listing. OMTech does not list a class. |
Sources for each machine are on the laser machines page.
Glowforge's Aura listing pairs its Class 1 label with this line:
Exposure to Hazardous laser light (Class 4) may result if misuse occurs.
Source: Glowforge: Craft Series tech specs (Aura, Spark)
The label on the machine and the machine's manual are the authority for its laser class and the eyewear it needs.