Understanding Photobiological Safety Standards for Lamps | ANSI RP-27.1-05

Photobiological safety involves considering potential hazards resulting from optical radiation. The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) has produced a set of standards governing this issue.

ANSI

• ANSI is an internationally recognized provider of voluntary consensus standards for a wide range of industries and workplaces. Their mission is to enhance global competition and promote quality of life in the United States.

Standard

• The relevant standard is entitled "ANSI RP-27.1-05: Photobiological Safety for Lamps and Lamp Systems--General Requirements." It applies to sources of optical radiation that emit light in the 200 to 3,000 nanometer range. It contains information on spectral distribution of optical radiation, the retinal hazard spectral region, and variation of radiance and projected radiance as distances change.

Purchase Information

• This standard may be downloaded from the ANSI webstore. It is available in pdf format. As of January 2011, the price of this standard is $38.