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Laser safety
ARTICLE IN PRESS Book reviews / Optics and Lasers in Engineering 42 (2004) 487–491
489
Laser safety ‘‘Laser Safety’’ Roy Henderson and Karl Schulmeister, Institute of Physics Publishing, Bristol, 2004, pp. xiv+459, 4 appendices price d65/$99 hardback ISBN 0 7503 0859 1
At last a book which guides the reader gently and carefully through the International Laser Safety standard (IEC 60825-1). For anyone involved in the design, manufacture or use of lasers, this book really is essential. For several years now I have been at a loss as to which book to recommend to undergraduate students of lasers; this book is it. Dr. Henderson and Dr. Schulmeister are renowned experts in laser safety issues and have now turned their expertise into writing this excellent text. As one would expect, and hope, this book starts with a brief description of lasers and properties of laser light (Chapter 1) before going on (Chapter 2) to describe the parameters of light and how they are measured. This chapter is vital since it is only by having a firm grasp of radiometric parameters such as irradiance, radiance, solid angle, angle of acceptance, etc., that the reader can apply and successfully interpret the ‘‘standard’’. The next chapter outlines the nature and effects of laser radiation hazards and gives a clear account of how maximum permissible exposure (MPE) values are estimated and interpreted. Dr. Henderson and Dr. Schulmeister then outline issues involved in laser classification and the new classification scheme, concepts of beam propagation and exposure assessment, and additional hazards such as collateral radiation, noise and fire. The book closes with chapters on risk assessment, application of protective measures and controls and safety management. Appendices include a glossary, and a very useful section on some common misunderstandings and misconceptions. The authors carefully and clearly explain all the concepts involved in what can be a very tricky area to interpret convincingly. Some calculations of MPE and a-values (angular subtense) are interspersed throughout the text to help underline the concepts involved. However, if there is one area I do criticise the book, it is the dearth of typical worked examples. Many readers will be using this book to assist them in applying and interpreting the safety standard for their own applications. It would have been extremely helpful if the authors had included a complete and wideranging set of typical situations: examples which take the reader step-by-step through some relevant safety applications. Examples would clearly indicate what assumptions were made, how a and MPE were calculated and then how the accessible emission was calculated for intrabeam and extended beam situations. This would enable the reader to confirm his/her calculations and check on the validity of their interpretation. Although this may add considerably to the length of the book it would make an otherwise excellent text even more useful. In conclusion, this book is mandatory reading for all users of lasers and should be in every University library as well as on the desk and in the laboratory of every laser practitioner. John Watson School of Engineering and Physical Sciences, King’s College,
ARTICLE IN PRESS 490
Book reviews / Optics and Lasers in Engineering 42 (2004) 487–491
University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen AB24 3UE, Scotland, UK Email addresses: [email protected] doi:10.1016/j.optlaseng.2004.01.001
Color vision and colorimetry: theory and applications, SPIE press monograph Vol. PM105 Daniel Malacara-Hernandez, Centro de Investigaciones en Optica, A.C. (Mexico), SPIE Press, April 2002, pp. 176, price $62 paperback, ISBN 0-8194-4228-3
The book starts with the nature of light itself and provides historic aspects of the understanding of colour including the important experiments by Newton. In the first chapter, Malacara describes colour sensitivity of the eye and how we see colour based on illumination and material reflections. Important in colour theory is the definitions of radiometric and photometric units and this subject is nicely covered. Temperature dependencies of colour, different filters, etc. are treated in this chapter. Light sources and illuminants are key elements in colour theory, a topic covered in a clear and easy-to-follow explanation, provided in Chapter 2. Chapter 3 deals with the magic of the trichromatic theory of light. The author explains how colour matching experiments were carried out as well as how colour matching functions came into existence. An introduction to chromaticity coordinates and tristimulus values are also provided in this chapter. The section is well written which makes it easy for the reader to grasp the concept of the CIE colour system presented in the following chapter. This, a rather technical chapter, explains why CIE decided to introduce and specify a standard colour system and how it is related to human vision. Nice comparisons and illustrations of different coloured blackbodies, light sources, opaque objects and transparent objects are given, dealing with the chromaticity diagrams. The basics of hue and chroma were already introduced in Chapter 1, but in Chapter 5, the reader gets a better understanding of the definitions by instructive illustrations and examples of how these aspects of colour theory are related. The important Munsell system, the 1960 CIE and the 1976 CIE colour chromaticity diagrams are all described in this chapter. If the reader thinks that the information provided in Chapter 5 is too technical and difficult to follow, Chapter 6 presents examples of real applications of the diagrams and provides physical figures to explain colour mixture and colorants. The chapter deals also with some practical problems on colour matching as seen in dyes and pigments. Chapter 7 describes colour measurements, techniques and instruments used for quantitative evaluation of illuminated objects. Here the author is skilfully introducing how the optical configurations are made to measure e.g. reflectance. The mathematical definitions on gloss, the different colorimeter valuations, etc. are also explained here.
489
Laser safety ‘‘Laser Safety’’ Roy Henderson and Karl Schulmeister, Institute of Physics Publishing, Bristol, 2004, pp. xiv+459, 4 appendices price d65/$99 hardback ISBN 0 7503 0859 1
At last a book which guides the reader gently and carefully through the International Laser Safety standard (IEC 60825-1). For anyone involved in the design, manufacture or use of lasers, this book really is essential. For several years now I have been at a loss as to which book to recommend to undergraduate students of lasers; this book is it. Dr. Henderson and Dr. Schulmeister are renowned experts in laser safety issues and have now turned their expertise into writing this excellent text. As one would expect, and hope, this book starts with a brief description of lasers and properties of laser light (Chapter 1) before going on (Chapter 2) to describe the parameters of light and how they are measured. This chapter is vital since it is only by having a firm grasp of radiometric parameters such as irradiance, radiance, solid angle, angle of acceptance, etc., that the reader can apply and successfully interpret the ‘‘standard’’. The next chapter outlines the nature and effects of laser radiation hazards and gives a clear account of how maximum permissible exposure (MPE) values are estimated and interpreted. Dr. Henderson and Dr. Schulmeister then outline issues involved in laser classification and the new classification scheme, concepts of beam propagation and exposure assessment, and additional hazards such as collateral radiation, noise and fire. The book closes with chapters on risk assessment, application of protective measures and controls and safety management. Appendices include a glossary, and a very useful section on some common misunderstandings and misconceptions. The authors carefully and clearly explain all the concepts involved in what can be a very tricky area to interpret convincingly. Some calculations of MPE and a-values (angular subtense) are interspersed throughout the text to help underline the concepts involved. However, if there is one area I do criticise the book, it is the dearth of typical worked examples. Many readers will be using this book to assist them in applying and interpreting the safety standard for their own applications. It would have been extremely helpful if the authors had included a complete and wideranging set of typical situations: examples which take the reader step-by-step through some relevant safety applications. Examples would clearly indicate what assumptions were made, how a and MPE were calculated and then how the accessible emission was calculated for intrabeam and extended beam situations. This would enable the reader to confirm his/her calculations and check on the validity of their interpretation. Although this may add considerably to the length of the book it would make an otherwise excellent text even more useful. In conclusion, this book is mandatory reading for all users of lasers and should be in every University library as well as on the desk and in the laboratory of every laser practitioner. John Watson School of Engineering and Physical Sciences, King’s College,
ARTICLE IN PRESS 490
Book reviews / Optics and Lasers in Engineering 42 (2004) 487–491
University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen AB24 3UE, Scotland, UK Email addresses: [email protected] doi:10.1016/j.optlaseng.2004.01.001
Color vision and colorimetry: theory and applications, SPIE press monograph Vol. PM105 Daniel Malacara-Hernandez, Centro de Investigaciones en Optica, A.C. (Mexico), SPIE Press, April 2002, pp. 176, price $62 paperback, ISBN 0-8194-4228-3
The book starts with the nature of light itself and provides historic aspects of the understanding of colour including the important experiments by Newton. In the first chapter, Malacara describes colour sensitivity of the eye and how we see colour based on illumination and material reflections. Important in colour theory is the definitions of radiometric and photometric units and this subject is nicely covered. Temperature dependencies of colour, different filters, etc. are treated in this chapter. Light sources and illuminants are key elements in colour theory, a topic covered in a clear and easy-to-follow explanation, provided in Chapter 2. Chapter 3 deals with the magic of the trichromatic theory of light. The author explains how colour matching experiments were carried out as well as how colour matching functions came into existence. An introduction to chromaticity coordinates and tristimulus values are also provided in this chapter. The section is well written which makes it easy for the reader to grasp the concept of the CIE colour system presented in the following chapter. This, a rather technical chapter, explains why CIE decided to introduce and specify a standard colour system and how it is related to human vision. Nice comparisons and illustrations of different coloured blackbodies, light sources, opaque objects and transparent objects are given, dealing with the chromaticity diagrams. The basics of hue and chroma were already introduced in Chapter 1, but in Chapter 5, the reader gets a better understanding of the definitions by instructive illustrations and examples of how these aspects of colour theory are related. The important Munsell system, the 1960 CIE and the 1976 CIE colour chromaticity diagrams are all described in this chapter. If the reader thinks that the information provided in Chapter 5 is too technical and difficult to follow, Chapter 6 presents examples of real applications of the diagrams and provides physical figures to explain colour mixture and colorants. The chapter deals also with some practical problems on colour matching as seen in dyes and pigments. Chapter 7 describes colour measurements, techniques and instruments used for quantitative evaluation of illuminated objects. Here the author is skilfully introducing how the optical configurations are made to measure e.g. reflectance. The mathematical definitions on gloss, the different colorimeter valuations, etc. are also explained here.