Hazard analysis on gaussian shaped laser beams

Laser safety evaluations are usually difficult for those who do not perform these evaluations every day. The author develops formulae for hazard evaluation based on a Gaussian beam shape. These formulae may be applied to a variety of situations even though an electronic calculator usually is required to solve them. Formulae are developed for calculating beam diameter, irradiance, nominal ocular hazard distance, atmospheric absorption, required optical density for laser safety eyewear, and related quantities.