Orb Optronix Announces LED Eye Safety Test Services
Orb Optronix has measured commercially available solid state lighting products (SSL) that exceed risk group category RG-1 blue light hazard limits in the ANSI/IESNA RP-27.3-07 ‘Recommended Practice for Photobiological Safety for Lamps, Risk Group Classification and Labeling’ standard along with IEC 62471:2006.
The RG-2 categorization cautions against direct viewing of light sources with the human eye.
David Jenkins, Orb’s president stated, “It is clear from our testing that SSL products exist that exceed the ANSI standard’s limits.” ANSI’s RP-27 describes the ‘blue light photo-biological hazard’ as the ‘potential for a photochemically induced retinal injury resulting from radiation exposure primarily between 400 nm and 500 nm.’
Since the hazard levels in the standard are specific to the operating conditions of radiating products, it is impossible for LED component manufacturers to provide conclusive eye safety information specific to the end product implementation of their parts. For this and other reasons, it is critical that product manufacturers incorporating LEDs properly test and label their products for their intended system application.
Orb Optronix offers product evaluation to the ANSI/IESNA RP-27 Recommended Practice for Photobiological Safety for Lamps and Lamp Systems, IEC 62471 (CIE S009) and IEC 60825-1 as a service to the LED and Solid State Lighting communities. In addition to its measurement services related to current standards, Orb Optronix works closely with medical physicist David Sliney, Ph.D., an expert in photo-biological safety, to provide additional in-depth analyses.
Until recently, there was confusion among manufacturers about the use of proper classification standards in differing markets. For instance, in some countries, products containing LEDs required a classification under a product standard intended for lasers, not LEDs (IEC 60825-1). Fortunately, the recently published second edition of this laser product standard, which was sometimes difficult to apply to LEDs, no longer includes LEDs in its scope. IEC 62471 replaces IEC 60825-1 internationally for LEDs and provides methods to assess the risk of LEDs by classifying their risk group (i.e., Exempt, RG-1, RG-2, RG-3) and is a “dual-logo” standard with CIE S009.
About Orb Optronix:
Orb Optronix operates an LED measurement services laboratory as part of its LED Technology Center located in Kirkland, Washington.
For more information regarding LED testing and risk assessment, please contact contact Rob Leonard (leonard@OrbOptronix.com).
