This document deals with all significant hazards, hazardous situations or hazardous events relevant to hand-held or hand-operated laser processing machines (HLMs), when they are used as intended and under conditions of misuse which are reasonably foreseeable by the manufacturer. HLM is the machine, as defined in ISO 11553‑1:2020, 3.7, in which laser radiation is generated, where the laser provides sufficient energy/power to cause a phase transition in a part of the workpiece and where the laser output or workpiece to be processed is guided manually or hand-held during the laser material processing.
This document defines general design requirements of HLM. HLM includes the laser device, beam-guiding device (e.g. mirror, fibre, lenses), beam-shaping device (e.g. telescope, focusing), and controls. The laser assembly as an integral part of the HLM or only the laser processing head is hand-held or hand-operated during the laser material processing.
This document does not apply
to laser processing machines which are remotely controlled by a manual controller (hand-operated controller), such as joy sticks, keyboard, etc., without touching a workpiece or a part mechanically connected with the laser material processing head by using the hand(s) of the operator (user)
to laser processing machines without a drive system which may not belong to machinery. And the laser processing apparatus without moving parts, which may not be considered as machinery in “Type C standard”.
to medical or cosmetic applications for the treatment of living human or animal tissue;
to weapon applications, (e.g. such as with regard to military applications, direct close combat.)
NOTE “hand-operated laser processing machine” is synonymous with “hand-guided laser processing machine” in this document. Hand-operated laser processing machines often use manual force reduction means such as wheels, supports, etc., for manual positioning of the laser processing heads or the workpieces.
It is applicable to HLMs using laser radiation to process materials.
The purpose of this document is to draw attention to the hazards related to HLMs and to prevent personal injury. Depending on the application and the location/operating conditions of HLMs, a number of different significant hazards can arise. This document describes both the areas of hazards analysis and risk assessment as well as protective measures.
Requirements dealing with noise as a hazard are covered by ISO 11553‑3:2013.
This document does not apply to laser products or equipment manufactured solely or expressly for applications which are excluded from the Scope of ISO 11553‑1:2020. This document is not applicable for HLMs which have been manufactured before the date of publication of this standard.
HLMs include the following types:
HLMs which are designed as all-in-one laser assembly including the beam delivery/forming(shaping) system and optional features such as gas nozzles, material (e.g. powder, wire) feed system;
HLMs where the relevant devices are connected by a beam guidance system (e.g. optical fibre) and power/control cables to an external laser assembly device and which includes only the beam delivery/forming(shaping) system and optional features such as gas nozzles, material (e.g. powder, wire) feed system;
laser processing machines where the workpiece is manually moved under/relative to the laser beam (see informative Annex A).
The intended use of HLMs covers both:
movement of elements or workpieces by hand to be processed under/relatively to stationary laser beams as shielded , and
movement of the laser processing head (beam shaping device) by hand to move laser beam(s) over or relative to elements or workpieces to be processed.
Laser processing machines, where laser processing is performed with hand-held or hand-operated workpieces outside the fixed (neither hand-held nor hand-operated by the operator or user) laser processing machines are out of the scope of this document. Such a fixed laser processing machine is to be covered by ISO 11553‑1:2020.
HLMs are intended for the industrial use and can be only operated by trained and authorized personnel in indoor and/or outdoor environments/locations (e.g. cleaning of facades, statues).
BSI recommends this version of standard for organisations operating in or with the UK. The ISO edition is available here if required.