FAQ about installing a laser cinema projector: which laser safety instructions do I need to take into account?

In this blog series we're discussing the impact of installing a laser projector. In our first post we answered the questionHow should I get the laser projector into my booth?

This time we will discuss the laser safety instructions you need to take into account when installing a laser cinema projector in your booth.

Safety rules

The light coming out of the lens of a laser projector is closer to that of a lamp projector than to that of laser scanners where most people associate them with. But given the higher brightness levels and their inherent laser source, government authorities have put a set of safety rules that require some attention during the installation in place. In a series of articles, LIPA Chairman Jan Daem digs deeper into these laser safety regulations.

Labelling

On the one hand, the practical impact comes from the required labelling on the equipment and its environment. This is the same as in any other professional application where employees work around equipment that contains laser.

Safety area

The safety area in front of the projector lens can also be affected as precautions need to be taken so that nobody (employee or visitor) can directly look into the projector lens from a close distance. This so-called restriction zone is defined by a hazard distance, separation height, and separation width.

Depending on the projector brightness, lens properties and theater layout; the impact can extend beyond the porthole window. But these extreme cases are limited to the brightest setups. For the majority of laser installations the laser safety regulations have no impact beyond the projection booth. Barco has calculators available to quantify these numbers for your specific setup.

Next time we'll talk about laser projectors' luminous efficacy and how cooling plays an important role in this.

Check back soon!