It is impossible to imagine the modern world without laser products. Since the experimental development of the first laser by the American physicist Theodore Maiman in 1960, lasers have been put to use in research and medicine, industry and trade, information and communication technology and, last but not least, entertainment technology.
The number of workers whose jobs involve lasers is rising constantly, but there also is an ever-greater number of lasers in the consumer sector. While laser printers and CD/DVD players have been in use for many years, it is now also common to find laser distance meters and laser beam levels in many do-it-yourselfers' tool cabinets. Laser pointers are found tucked into many schoolbags and, unfortunately, are not only used as a modern pointing device. As laser products become more commonplace, it is becoming increasingly important for both professionals and private users to be fully informed about their safe use.
