Nominal hazard zone

Lasers in this class have output powers of more than 500 mW in the beam and may cause severe, permanent damage to eye or skin without being magnified by optics of eye or instrumentation. Diffuse reflections of the laser beam can be hazardous to skin or eye within the Nominal Hazard Zone. Many industrial, scientific, military, and medical lasers are in this category. 

FIGURE 3.9 (See color insert following page 46.) Schematic illustrations of ATP-45 estimates of the hazard zone (the release is located at the center of the cross), (a) Nominal wind speeds less than 5.8 mph (5 knots), (b) Nominal wind speeds greater than 5.8 mph (5 knots). 

A laser footprint is the projection of the laser beam, and buffer zone, onto the ground or target area. The laser footprint may be part of the laser surface danger zone if the laser footprint lies within the nominal ocular hazard distance (NOHD) of the laser. 

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