Practical implications of the new Australian and New Zealand laser safety standard

This paper provides an in context advance look at the practical implications to the Australian Defence Force and general laser community of the pending update to the premier Australian and New Zealand laser safety standard. It discusses the significant changes to the standard, rationale and implications such as the revision of the maximum permissible exposure (MPE) limits, the changes classification system and unavoidable issues created by the adoption process. These details are of value to laser operators, laser safety officers, policy makers, distributors and regulators alike who will be impacted by this change.