Laser Safety Calculations

Formulas for Calculating the MPE, NOHD, and NHZ

The Office of Radiation Safety (ORS), under the guidance of the Laser Safety Officer (LSO), administers the
University of Chicago Laser Safety Program to ensure the safe and compliance use of lasers.

This document has been developed to provide an overview of how to perform the MPE, NOHD, and NHZ
calculations for lasers and laser systems used at the University of Chicago to assist the user in laser hazard
evaluations. Important definitions and a summary of the most common causes of laser accidents are added to
provide the laser user more context. Additional information and resources are available through the Laser
Safety Officer.

Important Definitions:
Maximum Permissible Exposure (MPE)
One of the most useful values in laser safety calculations is the Maximum Permissible Exposure
(MPE). This is the irradiance or radiant exposure that may be incident upon the eye (or the skin) without
causing an adverse biological affect. The MPE varies by wavelength and duration of exposure and is
documented in tables published in ANSI z136.1 standard. We can think of this as your laser safety speed limit.

Nominal Ocular Hazard Distance (NOHD)

The Nominal Ocular Hazard Distance (NOHD), sometimes referred to as the Nominal Hazard
Distance, is the distance along the axis of the emitted beam at which the irradiance is equal to the MPE. The
NOHD is dependent on beam characteristics such as the power, diameter, and divergence. The NOHD is
usually much greater than the largest dimension of your laboratory space.

The Nominal Hazard Zone (NHZ)

Another important definition for laser safety calculations is the Nominal Hazard Zone (NHZ). This is
a distance within which exposure to a direct, reflected, or scattered beam is greater than the MPE. Mirrors,
optics, and reflective materials in the beam path may result in diffuse or specular reflections in unintended
directions. Specular reflections are hazardous over a greater range than diffuse reflections. If you are in the
NHZ, you are at risk of an exposure above the MPE.

Optical Density (OD)

A measure of the attenuation of laser radiation through a material. The OD is a logarithmic
relationship with a higher OD providing increased attenuation of the laser radiation. This value is primarily
used in laser safety eyewear and viewing window specifications.

Accessible Exposure Limit (AEL)

The Accessible Emission Limit (AEL) is primarily used for the classification of lasers and defines the
maximum total power of radiation that can be emitted from a laser of a particular class. The AEL is the
product of the MPE and the Aperture of the eye at that wavelength.
 Lasers may be found in all shapes and sizes capable of producing a vast range of wavelengths,
power levels, and exposure times. By recognizing the situations where accidents involving lasers are most
prevalent we are able to be proactive and design a safer work environment.

Most Common Causes of Documented Laser Accidents:

• Not wearing appropriate safety eyewear
• Not reducing power for alignments, or unintended power increases
• Stray beams left uncontained by beam stops of other barriers

Alignment procedures and laser safety eyewear non-compliance are two of the most frequent causes
of ocular accidents involving lasers. The fundamental purpose of a laser safety program is to mitigate risks
associated with laser systems. By increasing awareness of known hazards we are on the right track to keep
everyone safe.

Safety Calculation Parameters:

Calculations allow us to assign quantitative values to laser safety parameters. As mentioned above,
the MPE value varies by wavelength and time of exposure and while under some circumstances the MPE may
be represented by a single value, in other cases, notably those of visible and near-infrared radiation during
ordinary time-periods of exposure, the MPE is found via a calculation with numerous variables. Therefore, it
is important to verify the MPE for each laser.

The human body has developed aversion responses to certain wavelengths such as turning or
blinking in response to bright light or responding to the heating of tissues. Table 1 below provides us with
approximate exposure times to use in MPE calculations.

Table 1. Maximum anticipated exposure durations for CW and Repetitive Pulse MPEs:
Wavelength Range Diffuse Viewing (seconds) Intrabeam Viewing (seconds)

UV: 180 nm – 400 nm 30,000 ( 8 hour work day / 24hr period) 100
Visible: 400 nm – 700 nm 600 0.25
Near IR: 700 nm – 1400 nm 600 10
Far IR: 1400 nm – 1000 µm 10 10

The times listed above are provided for unintentional viewing and are based upon natural reaction
times and other limits such as the length of a typical work day. Any intentional exposure to laser radiation must
receive prior authorization by the laser safety officer.

In addition to the proper exposure time, proper calculations will depend on the beam diameter. The
most common profile of a laser beam is a Gaussian profile. The diameter of a Gaussian beam be specified
according the 1/e or 1/e2 point. Laser manufacturers may often use the 1/e2 definition since this area
encompasses 90% of the total beam energy. However, safety calculations use the 1/e diameter, so check which
one you are using for consistency in your calculations.
The formulas used for laser safety calculations include numerous variables. Below is a table including some of
the variables that you will see in laser safety calculations. For a more comprehensive list of laser safety
variables and example calculations, please see the ANSI z136.1 Safe Use of Lasers Standard.

Table 2. Important Symbols and Conventions:

beam diameter: a (cm) beam divergence: f (radians)
radiant energy: Q (J) radiant power: Φ (W)
radiant exposure: H (J/cm2) Irradiance: E (W/cm2 )
Diameter of limiting aperture: Df (cm)

Table 3. Limiting Aperture by wavelength and exposure time:

Spectral Region Period of Exposure (s) Aperture Diameter (mm)
-9
180 to 400 nm 10 to 0.3 1.0
4
10 to 3 × 10 3.5
-13 4
400 to 1200 mm 10 to 3 × 10 7.0
-13
1400 nm to 100 µm 10 to 0.3 1.0
4
10 to 3 × 10 3.5
100 to 1000 µm 10-9 to 3 × 104 11.0

Table 3 provides some of the more common viewing conditions and is an excerpt from Table 8a in ANSI
z136.1.

Laser Safety Evaluations

Laser safety programs utilize a combination of hazard evaluation and risk assessments to create
workspaces that are as safe as reasonably achievable. Simple actions such as using a lower class laser for
alignments when possible eliminates unnecessary risk. Taking time to identify laser safety hazards, and
complete laser safety calculations makes the laboratory safer for everybody.

The University of Chicago Laser Safety Officer evaluates each Class 3b and Class 4 laser system on
campus. The laser users are ultimately responsible for the everyday safe use of these devices and by becoming
more familiar with safety requirements and the characteristics of the lasers they work with, researchers will
be better equipped to keep everybody in the area safe.

The following sections will provide the formulas necessary to complete a basic laser safety evaluation
along with some examples of the calculations.
 Laser Safety Formulas

Relationship between beam diameters given in 1/e and 1/e2:

𝟏 𝟏
𝒂 # & = ( 𝟐𝒂( )
𝒆𝟐 𝒆
Relationship between beam radiant power and irradiance:
𝚽
𝑬 =
𝑫𝒇 𝟐
𝝅# &
𝟐

Maximum Permissible Exposure (MPE)

The MPE of a laser depends on the characteristics of the laser and the time of exposure. Tables 5a – 5f
in ANSI z136.1 provide the comprehensive list of formulas for calculating the MPEs for the different possible
exposures.
Continuous Wave Laser:

Determination of the MPE for incidental direct viewing of a visible laser:

𝒎𝑱
𝑴𝑷𝑬(𝑯): 𝟏. 𝟖𝒕𝟎.𝟕𝟓
𝒄𝒎𝟐
𝑯
Where: 𝑬 = 𝒕

𝑴𝑷𝑬(𝑯)
And: 𝑴𝑷𝑬 (𝑬):
𝒕

For an incidental exposure to a visible laser, we are able to reference Table 1 to determine the exposure
time of 0.25 seconds.

𝒎𝑱 𝒎𝑱
𝑴𝑷𝑬(𝑯): 𝟏. 𝟖(𝟎. 𝟐𝟓)𝟎.𝟕𝟓 𝟐
= 𝟎. 𝟔𝟑𝟔
𝒄𝒎 𝒄𝒎𝟐
𝒎𝑱
𝟎. 𝟔𝟑𝟔
𝑴𝑷𝑬 (𝑬): 𝒄𝒎𝟐 = 𝟐. 𝟓𝟓 𝒎𝑾
𝟎. 𝟐𝟓 𝒔 𝒄𝒎𝟐
 Repetitively Pulsed Lasers:

A repetitively pulsed laser provides unique challenges in designating the appropriate MPE. The MPE
shall be calculated to access the hazard from the single pulse (Rule 1), the average power (Rule 2), and the
thermal hazards from multiple pulses (Rule 3). As of ANSI Z136.1 – 2014, Rule 3 only applies in specific
circumstances such as extended sources and is not widely applicable.

Determination of the MPE for a repetitive pulsed laser:

Determine the MPE for a Dye laser rated at 220µJ per pulse with emissions of 500 nm at 10Hz and a pulse
duration of 800 ps.

Rule 1:
Rule 1 determines the MPE based on a single pulse of laser radiation. Using Table
5b of ANSI z136.1 we find the MPE to be a constant value:

𝐉
𝐌𝐏𝐄𝐒𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐥𝐞 𝐏𝐮𝐥𝐬𝐞 : 𝟐𝐄 − 𝟕 𝐜𝐦𝟐

𝐉 𝐖
𝐌𝐏𝐄: 𝐄 = 𝐌𝐏𝐄𝐒𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐥𝐞 𝐏𝐮𝐥𝐬𝐞 ∗ 𝐅 = 𝟐𝐄 − 𝟕 ∗ 𝟏𝟎 𝐇𝐳 = 𝟐𝐄 − 𝟔
𝐜𝐦𝟐 𝐜𝐦𝟐

Rule 2:
Rule 2 determines the MPE based on the average power of the pulsed laser. For
the 500nm wavelength, the aversion response limits exposure time to 0.25
seconds. In this time the eye may be exposed to 3 pulsed from this laser.

𝑱
𝑴𝑷𝑬𝑨𝒗𝒈 𝑷𝒐𝒘𝒆𝒓 : 𝟏. 𝟖 ∗ 𝒕𝟎.𝟕𝟓 ∗ 𝟏𝟎𝑬 − 𝟑
𝒄𝒎𝟐

𝑱
𝑱 𝟔. 𝟑𝟔𝑬 − 𝟒 𝟐 𝑱
𝑴𝑷𝑬𝑨𝒗𝒈 𝑷𝒐𝒘𝒆𝒓 : 𝟏. 𝟖 ∗ 𝟎. 𝟐𝟓 𝟎.𝟕𝟓
∗ 𝟏𝟎𝑬 − 𝟑 = 𝒄𝒎 = 𝟐. 𝟏𝟒 𝑬 − 𝟒
𝒄𝒎𝟐 𝟑 𝒑𝒖𝒍𝒔𝒆𝒔 𝒄𝒎𝟐

Rule 3:

Rule three does not apply in this scenario.

Comparing the MPE values calculated from Rules 1 and 2, Rule 1 is more restrictive therefore the
appropriate MPE for this laser is 2E-7 J/cm2 or 2E-6 W/cm2.
 Nominal Ocular Hazard Distance

The properties of a laser, such as the directionality and coherence, typically contribute to the NOHD
being a rather great distance. The NOHD is calculated using different formulas depending on the use of the
laser.

NOHD of an unaltered beam:

𝟏
𝟏 𝟒𝚽 𝟐
𝑵𝑶𝑯𝑫: NO R − 𝒂𝟐 T
𝝓 𝝅𝑴𝑷𝑬
NOHD for a lens on laser:
𝟏
𝒇𝒐 𝟒𝚽 𝟐
𝑵𝑶𝑯𝑫: O R
𝒃𝒐 𝝅𝑴𝑷𝑬
NOHD for a fiber laser:
𝟏
𝟏.𝟕 𝚽 𝟐
𝑵𝑶𝑯𝑫: 𝑵𝑨 W𝝅𝑴𝑷𝑬X Multi-mode fibers

𝟏
𝝎𝒐 𝛑𝚽 𝟐
𝑵𝑶𝑯𝑫: 𝝀
W𝟐𝑴𝑷𝑬X Single-mode fibers
Where:
φ – emergent beam divergence (measured at 1/e peak of irradiance points
NA – numerical aperture of the fiber
bo – diameter of beam incident on a focusing lens
fo – focal length of a lens
ωo – spot size of a single mode fiber

Determination of NOHD for a laser with no lens or fibers:

Given a 250 mW visible CW laser with a divergence of 1 mrad, determine where along the axis of the beam is
the irradiance equal to the MPE.

An acceptable shorthand NOHD equation may be used in the absence of optics and fibers:
𝟏
𝟏 𝟏. 𝟐𝟕𝚽 𝟐
𝑵𝑶𝑯𝑫: O R
𝝓 𝑴𝑷𝑬

𝟏
𝟐
𝟏 𝟏. 𝟐𝟕 ∗ 𝟐𝟓𝟎 𝐦𝐖 𝟏
𝑵𝑶𝑯𝑫: [ _ = 𝟏𝟎𝟎𝟎 ∗ (𝟏𝟐𝟒. 𝟓𝟏 𝒄𝒎𝟐 )𝟐
𝟎. 𝟎𝟎𝟏 𝒓𝒂𝒅 mW
𝟐. 𝟓𝟓 D
cm

= 𝟏𝟎𝟎𝟎 ∗ 𝟏𝟏. 𝟏𝟓𝟖𝒄𝒎 = 𝟏𝟏𝟏. 𝟓𝟖 𝒎


Nominal Hazard Zone

The NOHD is the dominant value for determining the radial extend of the NHZ if the bean be reasonably
expected to be incidentally directed towards people. The NHZ surrounding an optical set-up may be
calculated using the following formulas:

𝟏
𝝆 𝜱 𝒄𝒐𝒔 𝜽 𝟐
𝒓𝑵𝑯𝒁 : W 𝝀𝝅𝑴𝑷𝑬 X Diffuse reflection
𝟏
𝟏 𝟏.𝟐𝟕 𝝆𝝀 𝜱 𝟐
𝒓𝑵𝑯𝒁 : 𝝓 W 𝑴𝑷𝑬
X Specular reflection
Where:
ρl - the spectral reflectance of a diffuse or specular object at wavelength l

Note how the NHZ for a specular reflection is nearly identical to the NOHD formula with the additional
variable pl. For conservative calculation, you may use the NOHD formula for a specular reflection.

Determination of NHZ from the reflection of a laser:

Given a 250 mW visible CW laser with a divergence of 1mrad and an incident surface spectral reflectance of
0.2, determine the range that a reflected beam is equal to the MPE.

𝟏
𝟐
𝟎. 𝟐 ∗ 𝟐𝟓𝟎 𝐦𝐖 ∗ 𝟏. 𝟎
𝒅𝒊𝒇𝒇𝒖𝒔𝒆 − 𝒓𝑵𝑯𝒁 : [ _ = 𝟐. 𝟓 𝒄𝒎
𝐦𝐖
𝝅 ∗ 𝟐. 𝟓𝟓
𝐜𝐦𝟐
𝟏
𝟐
𝟏 𝟏. 𝟐𝟕 ∗ 𝟎. 𝟐 ∗ 𝟐𝟓𝟎 𝐦𝐖
𝒔𝒑𝒆𝒄𝒖𝒍𝒂𝒓 − 𝒓𝑵𝑯𝒁 : [ _ = 𝟓𝟎 𝒎
𝟎. 𝟎𝟎𝟏 𝐦𝐖
𝟐. 𝟓𝟓
𝐜𝐦𝟐

When specific reflective properties of incident surfaces is not provided, conservative estimates can be found
by using a viewing angle of 0o and a reflectance ρl of 100%.

Diffuse reflections from matte surfaces can be hazardous from high powered lasers and the degree of hazard
depends on the irradiance (or radiant exposure) at the viewer’s location. To calculate the irradiance for a
diffuse reflection:
𝝆𝝀 ∗ 𝚽 ∗ 𝐜𝐨𝐬 𝚯𝒗
𝑬:
𝝅 ∗ 𝐫𝟐

Where:
r - is the distance from the laser target to the viewer (cm)
cos θv - is the viewing angle from the normal to a reflecting surface
The equation for irradiance is the same as for radiant exposure.
 Optical Density (OD) Calculations

When full containment of a Class 3b or Class 4 beam path is not possible, an ocular hazard may be present
and laser safety eyewear may be required. Laser Safety Eyewear utilizes specially formulated lenses to
attenuate laser radiation to different degrees for different wavelengths. The properties of the lenses are
such that protection from laser radiation is offered to only the specific wavelengths indicated on the
eyewear. The Optical Density (OD) and corresponding wavelengths or range of wavelengths, must be
permanently etched into the lenses or frames of the eyewear.

To calculate the Optical Density required for your laser system you will need the have calculated the MPE, as
well as the irradiance E or radiant exposure H.

𝑬 𝑯
𝑶𝑫𝝀 = 𝒍𝒐𝒈 𝑴𝑷𝑬 or 𝑶𝑫𝝀 = 𝒍𝒐𝒈 𝑴𝑷𝑬

The OD is unit-less and rounded up from 0.05 to the next whole integral. Laser safety eyewear with a higher
OD than required are acceptable however, it is important to recognize the Visible Light Transmission (VLT) of
the eyewear to ensure adequate vision of the workspace while wearing the eyewear. A VLT of at least 20% is
recommended. In instances of multiple wavelengths, one pair of eyewear may not be available to provide
adequate safety and enclosing the beam path may be required.

The State of Illinois requires that eyewear be inspected at least every six-months. The Laser Safety Officer
will approve the laser safety eyewear used for each application and can make recommendations to ensure
the appropriate safety glasses are procured for each laser.

Determination of minimum required OD:

Given a 250 mW laser at a wavelength of 500 nm, determine the minimum OD required.

𝑬 𝑬
𝑶𝑫𝝀 = 𝒍𝒐𝒈 = 𝒍𝒐𝒈
𝑴𝑷𝑬 𝐦𝐖
𝟐. 𝟓𝟓
𝐜𝐦𝟐

𝟐𝟓𝟎 𝒎𝑾 𝒎𝑾
𝑬 = 𝟐
= 𝟔𝟓𝟎
𝝅 (𝟎. 𝟑𝟓 𝒄𝒎) 𝒄𝒎𝟐

𝐦𝐖
𝟔𝟓𝟎
𝑶𝑫𝝀 = 𝒍𝒐𝒈 𝐜𝐦𝟐 = 𝟐. 𝟒
𝐦𝐖
𝟐. 𝟓𝟓
𝐜𝐦𝟐

This laser would require laser safety eyewear marked for an OD of 3 covering the wavelength of 500nm.
If you have additional safety questions, please contact: lasersafety@lists.uchicago.edu