Current Students and Staff

The University’s Health and Safety Team are appealing to staff and students across campus to be extremely cautious when using laser pointers.

Whilst owning a laser pointer is not an offence, recent legislation has meant that it is now an offence to point one at or out of any vehicles. Doing so is not only extremely dangerous, but also a criminal offence.

The Health and Safety Team have provided tips below to ensure you use a laser pointer safely and effectively:

• Only buy laser pens from UK based suppliers
• Never point a laser pen at someone
• Check if your laser pointer is graded Class 1 or 2 (only these are permitted to be used as teaching aids at the University)
• Check your laser pen has this label:

Hugh Weaver, Deputy Health and Safety Manager at the University, commented: “Laser pointers can be very valuable aids for teaching and learning across campus, but it is important that staff and students understand that they are extremely powerful and can cause significant damage. Last year, nearly 150 people in the UK suffered eye injuries as a result of misusing laser pointers.”

If you’re not sure how powerful your laser pointer is, you can get it tested by contacting Rebecca Ford, Laser Safety Support Administrator, at r.a.ford@lboro.ac.uk.

Further guidance about laser pointer safety is available online.

For more information, contact the Health and Safety team at hse@lboro.ac.uk or by ringing 01509 222181, or Teaching Support on 01509 222199.