For laser pointer sellers, distributors and manufacturers
Laser pointers have already been banned in some jurisdictions. In Canada and elsewhere, aviation officials are getting fed up with pointers being aimed at aircraft. Therefore, it is in your best interest do to everything possible to promote the safe use of laser pointers. Here are some suggestions:
Education
Include with every order, a prominent “CAUTION” sheet, telling users not to aim at aircraft. You can create your own, or use one that ILDA has created for you to download (PDF format): insert-for-pointer-users
Your website should have links to this website (LaserPointerSafety.com) on every page. We are hoping to create web banners and “ads” that you can drop on your page.
If you have a users forum, post information and a link to this site as a sticky on your forum.
On every webpage selling a laser pointer above 1 mW, there should be a prominent warning, such as “NEVER aim a laser beam at an aircraft. It is unsafe, you may be arrested, and you may help cause laser pointers to be banned.” (You may think 1 mW is too low; however a 1 mW laser is a distraction at aircraft altitudes. In 2008, a California man was jailed for aiming a 3.3 mW laser at an aircraft.)
Labeling
Every laser pointer above 1 mW should have a permanent marking or label with wording such as “DO NOT aim at or near aircraft”. For example, in September 2009 a major Internet laser distributor began putting a warning on their U.S. labels:
WARNING: DO NOT SHINE YOUR LASER AT AN AIRCRAFT
Shooting a laser at an aircraft is considered a felony in the U.S.
We applaud this move. Wording like this should be on every laser pointer over 1 mW.
Label permanence
It should be difficult or impossible to remove the label. We understand this may be an aesthetic issue, but the label permanence is an important point. It should help reduce misuse. It is better to have some text on a pointer that can be legally used, than to have text-free pointers that have been banned due to too many laser-aircraft incidents.
Trade association
Laser pointer manufacturers, distributors and sellers should join together in a trade association. The association can provide “one voice” for the industry. The association can be a central resource for news about proposed laser pointer regulations. The association can work to educate users, in order to reduce incidents. The association can also work within groups such as the SAE G-10T Laser Safety Hazards Subcommittee, to help shape regulations.
To find out more about how to do this, please contact the International Laser Display Association.
Get involved in regulations and SAE G-10T
Some countries are considering banning laser pointers. Pointer manufacturers, on their own or as part of a new trade association, can work with regulators in these countries to reduce incidents and to prevent or minimize a ban.
In the United States, a key laser-aviation safety group is the SAE G-10T. Laser pointer interests should attend the SAE G-10T meetings, so that their voice is heard. (They are held every six months. For more information, contact ILDA.)