Safety
The non-negotiables. Read these before running anything.
Lasers cause permanent blindness in milliseconds and start fires in seconds. The risks are real and they are also entirely manageable when you respect them.
Read every page in this section before you connect a machine. Re-read them when you change machines, change materials, or train someone new on yours.
About these pages
Laser engravers and cutters use intense light, often at wavelengths your eye cannot see. Improper use can cause permanent eye injury, severe burns, fire, and property damage.
I am a maker, not a laser-safety professional or an industrial-hygiene professional. The guidance on these pages reflects practical experience and published reference material; it is not a substitute for:
- The safety documentation, warnings, and labels that shipped with your machine.
- The safety data sheet (SDS) for any material you intend to cut, engrave, or burn.
- Local fire, building, electrical, and ventilation codes.
- Advice from a qualified eye-care professional if you have specific vision needs.
When the docs on this site and the manufacturer disagree, the manufacturer wins. When you are unsure whether a material is safe to cut, the default answer is do not cut it. Beam Bench (the app and these docs) is provided as-is with no warranty; running a laser is your responsibility. See the terms for the full disclaimer.
The short version
- Wear goggles rated for your laser's wavelength. Diode and fiber lasers operate at different wavelengths and need different goggles. Cutter enclosure windows are not goggles.
- Never leave a running job unattended. Most laser fires happen the moment a maker walks away "just to grab something".
- Have a fire extinguisher within arm's reach. Class ABC dry chemical or CO2. Not water.
- Vent fumes outside. Acrylic, MDF, leather, and most coated woods produce toxic smoke.
- Never cut PVC, vinyl, or anything containing chlorine. It produces hydrochloric acid gas that destroys your lungs and your machine.
In this section
- Eye protection: goggles, wavelength matching, optical density
- Fire and ventilation: fume extraction, suppression, the never-leave-unattended rule
- Materials: what is safe, what is toxic, what is unpredictable
A note on enclosures
A fully enclosed machine with an interlock that stops firing when the lid opens reduces both eye and fire risk substantially. It does not eliminate either. Wear goggles inside the room. Stay with the machine. Have an extinguisher.