I spent months trying to decide which laser engraver/cutter was a good fit for me. It was only when I got my machine did it dawn on me that safety issues were important. Of course on watching videos, safety mentions were made but I felt comfortable with the fact that the laser I had gotten came with safety glasses and had built in safety measures ie. protective shielding and automatic stops with movement. Directly after my first few minutes of engraving I changed my mind, and did a deep dive on the internet for personal protective equipment. 

SAFETY GLASSES

I  have tried to be pretty diligent with the safety glasses that were provided with my machine. My eyes are important.  The laser I bought was the Aufero Laser, a ready to use model by Ortur. It does provide a shield covering the laser beam and safety glasses. After my first use, I realised these were inadequate. The light produced by the diode laser is quite intense. The shield will aide in blocking it out, but as you adjust the height of your laser the shield will allow some light to pass under. This light will reflect off surfaces - walls, tiles, windows, glasses, and even with the use of the glasses I realised I was squinting alot and after short use I’d have eye pain and headaches. 

I did send an email to Ortur, where they replied that the glasses provided are sufficient, but after my own research I wanted a better pair. In the manual provided with the laser it does list the wave lengths of light you’re exposed to when using the machine and a suggested Optical Density I believe. I ended up getting this pair. I love them. They feel a lot sturdier and the Optical density and wave lengths they protect against are on the glasses themselves. This greatly increased my confidence in the brand. The fact that the rubber edge prevents light from coming under is also a plus. Even when wearing the originally provided glasses I felt like light could get in around the edges. 

They have different shapes, and are made to  fit over glasses. My glasses are too big in general but keep this in mind when choosing a pair. I have had incidents in switching between my regular glasses and safety glasses when adjusting the settings and starting the machine where I’ve been exposed to short durations of the laser beam. It is dangerous and can cause blindness, whether that is acute or long term depends on exposure and intensity. 

Please note: 

• I spend very little time even with my glasses on looking directly at my laser whilst it is in operation. 

• I use plywood generally to make a pseudo-enclosure for my laser, I don’t want anyone else seeing the reflections while it is in operation. Ortur does sell enclosures, and if your handy you can build your own. 

RESPIRATOR

My home is pretty well ventilated, and I remember after my first engrave the entire house smelling like smoke, and my clothes smelling like smoke. Currently, I ensure my home is sealed off from the area I use my laser ( connecting doors and windows closed), and it’s always done in a well ventilated space. Initially, I used fans to blow away the fumes, but I found that wasn’t enough. I wear a half mask with cartridges with every single use. I chose this one based on the fact that the filter seemed suitable for sanding wood, and the cartridges seemed to cover a wide range of fumes. I do not smell anything when using my mask, and it’s adjustable to make a tight seal. I wear a size small. 

Choosing the correct filter is tricky based on what materials you’re going to be burning. This is made harder by the fact that plywoods and other materials for laser engraving don’t generally come with safety sheets. I have been in contact with 3M now that it’s time to renew by cartridges, and their technical service team has agreed this is an appropriate choice for the applications I had listed - engraving/cutting plywood, spray painting and possibly cutting acrylic and the use of epoxy/resin. 

Again, although my laser is visible ( fires can and will happen ) I am not standing over my laser, even with my mask on to try and breathe in those fumes. 

FIRE SAFETY

Lasers = Fire. Fire safety is a must. Ideally, an extinguisher, but a spray bottle with water that’s ready to go is always useful. Be conscious of the surfaces you're engraving on ( no-one wants a hole in their dining room table or counter top ). Be watchful! Fires are unexpected and your laser shouldn't be on without some supervision. 

I want you to avoid the worrying (and the intense google searches post exposure to the infinite health risks associated with lasers) by being safe from the get go. These lasers are becoming more wide spread for at home use, but easy to understand safety information is a little less easy to come by.  I am NOT an ophthalmologist/ laser safety/ occupational health specialist or anything of the sort. This information is based on my own research and I would highly advise looking into it yourself before making a purchase. 

I hope this advice helps someone !