Laser eye injuries in military occupations (original) (raw)

Applications of Laser Technology in the Army

2021

Every year, the use of lasers for military purposes continues to grow. Many armies from different countries use different types of laser systems for their specific combat tasks and actions. Traditional troops of land forces, artillery, air defence, and aviation forces today recognize the laser as a major operational element in increasing the accuracy and effectiveness of combat operations. Lasers are also part of various training sessions in the educational process of military servicemen in military schools and universities. The purpose of this document is to provide the necessary and adequate information about lasers and their application to the army. An additional purpose of this report is to minimize the dangers associated with laser radiation when using lasers in military operations.

Laser Eye Injuries

Survey of Ophthalmology, 2000

Laser instruments are used in many spheres of human activity, including medicine, industry, laboratory research, entertainment, and, notably, the military. This widespread use of lasers has resulted in many accidental injuries. Injuries are almost always retinal, because of the concentration of visible and near-infrared radiation on the retina. The retina is therefore the body tissue most vulnerable to laser radiation. The nature and severity of this type of retinal injury is determined by multiple laser-related and eye-related factors, the most important being the duration and amount of energy delivered and the retinal location of the lesion. The clinical course of significant retinal laser injuries is characterized by sudden loss of vision, often followed by marked improvement over a few weeks, and occasionally severe late complications. Medical and surgical treatment is limited. Laser devices hazardous to the human eye are currently in widespread use by armed forces. Furthermore, lasers may be employed specifically for visual incapacitation on future battlefields. Adherence to safety practices effectively prevents accidental laser-induced ocular injuries. However, there is no practical way to prevent injuries that are maliciously inflicted, as expected from laser weapons. Surv Ophthalmol 44 :459-478, 2000. © 2000 by Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reserved.) Key words. laser-induced eye injury • laser weapons • military weapons • occupational laser injury • retinal laser injury Surv Ophthalmol 44

Laser and His Impact on the People’s Eyes

2019

The purpose of this report is to provide useful and adequate information needed to minimise dangers associated with laser radiation in military and training activities of the Army. The assessment made in the report is based on the ability of laser beam to cause biological damage to the eye during laser system’s malfunction or inability to protect the military staff from laser radiation. Laser radiation is absorbed into the outer layers of the body and therefore its biological effects are mostly limited to skin and eyes. If the laser beam strikes a person, the effects of laser radiation are characterized by a very rapid absorption of energy. The damage that is caused depends on the exposed organ and tissue and presents a particular eye hazard where the lens can focus the beam.

Laser Safety in Army Education

Land Forces Academy Review

Studies have been made on the development of military science and it has been established that for the modernization of the army and the defense industry it is necessary to develop and search for new innovative technological solutions in the field of laser technology and photonics. According to the trends in the use of laser technologies for military applications, the need to acquire knowledge in the field of “Laser Safety” has also been proven. The report substantiates the need to train cadets and students in a military university. A curriculum on “Laser Safety” is proposed and what knowledge and skills future officers should acquire are indicated.

Experience with laser safety in the USA-a review

Lasers in Medical Science, 1989

Following several research programs in the 1960's aimed at studying the adverse biological effects of lasers and other optical radiation sources, laser occupational exposure l~m~ts were set and general safety standards were developed. Today, the experience from laser accidents and the development of new lasers and new applications have altered the format of the exposure l~m~ts and the safety procedures.

Laser Weapons: Blinding Laser Weaponry and Its Discontents

Chinese Business Review, 2017

In our highly globalized but culturally divided world whereby so-called defense industry is implied as both innovative and progressive, as contemporaneously the international legal doctrine is conceived to be static and conservative. This doubly bound narrative itself is almost as old as international law wherein the most striking contradictory moments happened in the era of, and between two world wars: In such a way that our thinking of legal and other fields owe much more thereto than we realize today. In this study, it is purported to call attention to some key understandings which may be termed as militarist humanitarianism, humanitarian militarism, or, optimist scientism, and pessimist humanitarianism. As such, it is intended to examine international issues pertaining to humanitarianism and militarism through the lens of different perspectives, doctrine-itself and their history as enshrined in the Protocol IV on Blinding Laser Weapons, issues which are almost totally neglected in the mainstream media and academia.