This is a report of laser hazard caused by laser radiation:
A year and a half ago, because the accident right eyes was irradiated with a laser pointer one or two times. It is very short time, but the vision instantly fallen from 1.5 until 0.4. It is not acceptable accident, but it was just the fact. The hospital test shows perforation of the macular. The light band is blown under the neural retina.
The test result shown the laser pointer output power is under 100mW. It is not powerful enough to burn cigar, match, paper or rubber. After one week, macular perforation closed. Visual acuity recovered to about 1.0, but the permanent loss of central vision. Only peripheral vision can see objects very dim. This is just the finally result and the saddest thing for me. An accidental exposure to powerful laser beam has just brought such serious damage to eyes. How can it be powerful while people are operating a burning laser on wrong hands?
It is just no kidding or not a joke to point a high power laser pointer more than 5mW. It is not allowed to own or buy any laser pointer with an output power of higher than 5mW in most of countries. At the same time, some of countries even limit import of any laser gadgets. Once human are being pointed with powerful laser radiation, it is always not avoided that hazards brought to eyes and skins.
In some of high tech application fields such as medical treatment, military weapon positioning etc, high powered laser pointers and other similar laser gadgets cannot be avoided. As a result, workers should be cautious enough with powerful laser radiation. Any laser radiation and laser reflection might cause serious damages to human body and eyes.
When users have to use high powered lasers, it is always the first important issue to wear laser safety goggles. This laser goggles should be perfected equipped with operating wavelength of laser pointer. During process of laser radiation on required working fields, the laser beam should never be pointed at other people, animal, moving vehicles, and aircrafts. Even temporary exposure to powerful laser beam might cause permanent hazard to retina of eyes, or even blind. Do be cautious with any possible visible and invisible lasers. Just let laser pointer to be your working tool, but not the toy for wrong working places.