Your Dusty laser tracker — the AT500 or the AT930 — is a Class 2 laser product under IEC 60825-1 (2014-05). That means no laser safety glasses, no warning signs, and no laser safety officer are required when you use it as directed. Class 2 products are safe for momentary exposure. Deliberately staring into the beam is not.
If OSHA, a GC, or a site safety manager asks for the laser classification in writing, the whole answer is below, including the wavelengths, the output power, and every international standard the trackers are classified under.
What "Class 2" means
IEC 60825-1 sorts lasers into hazard classes from Class 1 (lowest) to Class 4 (highest), based on how much radiation you could be exposed to, at what wavelength, for how long.
Class 2 products are safe for momentary exposure but can be hazardous if you deliberately stare into the beam. The beam may cause dazzle, flash-blindness, and afterimages, particularly in low light. From a safety standpoint, Class 2 lasers are not inherently safe for the eyes — the classification limits exposure, it does not make the light harmless.
Laser class by tracker
| Tracker | Overall classification | Standard |
|---|---|---|
| AT500 | Class 2 | IEC 60825-1 (2014-05), "Safety of laser products" |
| AT930 | Class 2 | IEC 60825-1 (2014-05), "Safety of laser products" |
Both trackers carry a manufacturer's label stating the applied standard, the emitted wavelengths, and the maximum average radiant power.
Why the whole tracker is Class 2 when its parts are rated lower
Each tracker contains more than one light source. In Leica's words, "the possibility of simultaneous emission of the individual laser sources results in an overall classification as laser class 2" — so the tracker as a complete system is Class 2 even where an individual source on its own is rated lower.
What's inside each tracker
AT500
| Source | Class | Visible? | Wavelength | Max. average radiant power | Beam divergence (full angle) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Absolute Distance Meter (ADM) | Class 2 (rated jointly with the laser pointer) | No | 795 nm (range 785–800 nm) | < 0.35 mW cw | 0.1 mrad |
| Laser pointer | Class 2 (rated jointly with the ADM) | Yes | 640 nm | 0.35 mW cw | 0.2 mrad |
| Automatic Target Recognition (ATR) | Class 1 | No | 905 nm | 1.5 mW | 11 mrad |
| PowerLock vision system | Not a laser — see below | No (LED) | — | — | — |
| Instrument status indicator | Not a laser — see below | Yes (LED) | — | — | — |
The AT500 manual rates the ADM and the laser pointer together as one Class 2 product, not as two separately classified sources. Both beams emerge from the telescope objective. The ATR beam is pulsed: pulse duration ≤ 2.56 ms, pulse repetition frequency ≤ 500 Hz.
AT930
| Source | Class | Visible? | Wavelength | Max. average radiant power | Beam divergence |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Absolute Distance Meter (ADM) | Class 1 | No | 795 nm | 0.53 mW cw | < 1.5 mrad (collimated) |
| Laser interferometer | Class 1 | Yes | 633 nm | 0.30 mW cw | < 1.5 mrad |
| PowerLock vision system | Not a laser — see below | No (LED) | — | — | — |
| Instrument status indicator | Not a laser — see below | Yes (LED) | — | — | — |
Additional AT930 figures from the manual: the ADM beam is roughly 10 mm in diameter, works by modulation of polarization, resolves to 0.3 µm, and has a dynamic lock-on accuracy (MPE) of ±10 µm. The interferometer has a 5.5 mm emitting aperture, wavelength stabilization accuracy of ±0.3 ppm, and 0.4 µm resolution. Both beams emerge from the telescope objective.
The LEDs are not lasers
The PowerLock vision system and the instrument status indicator LEDs on both trackers are excluded from the scope of IEC 60825-1 entirely. They're classified as exempt group under IEC 62471 (2006-07), the standard for photobiological safety of lamps and lamp systems, and pose no hazard when the tracker is used and maintained per the manual. PowerLock emits an invisible LED beam from the front of the telescope; the status indicator emits visible LED light in several colors.
Do you need glasses, signs, or a laser safety officer?
No — not for the tracker's laser, when it's used as directed.
IEC TR 60825-14 (2004-02), the technical report that accompanies the classification standard, states that products classified as Class 1, Class 2, or Class 3R do not require:
- laser safety officer involvement
- protective clothes and eyewear
- special warning signs in the laser working area
That exemption applies because of the low eye-hazard level, and it applies specifically when the product is used and operated as defined in its user manual.
One caveat that matters on a jobsite: national laws and local regulations can impose more stringent requirements than IEC 60825-1 (2014-05) and IEC TR 60825-14 (2004-02). If your site safety plan, your jurisdiction, or your GC requires more, follow that.
Standards referenced
| Standard | What it covers | Where it applies here |
|---|---|---|
| IEC 60825-1 (2014-05) | "Safety of laser products" — the classification system | Both trackers rated Class 2; individual sources rated Class 1 or Class 2 |
| IEC TR 60825-14 (2004-02) | Technical report on the safe use of laser products | Basis for no safety officer, no eyewear, no warning signs |
| IEC 62471 (2006-07) | Photobiological safety of lamps and lamp systems | PowerLock and status LEDs — exempt group |
| 21 CFR 1040.10 and 1040.11 | U.S. federal performance standards for laser products | Stated on both instrument labels |
| Laser Notice No. 56 (May 8, 2019) | The notice under which the IEC Ed. 3 exception is taken | The exception noted on both labels |
Jobsite precautions
Leica's stated precautions for a Class 2 product are short:
- Avoid staring into the beam, or viewing it through optical instruments. Binoculars, a scope, or a camera zoom concentrate the beam and raise your exposure.
- Avoid pointing the beam at other people or at animals.
On top of those, Dusty recommends treating the tracker the way you'd treat any precision optical instrument on an active floor:
- Mount it on a stable, level base. A tracker that gets bumped loses its lock and swings the beam. Use the supplied tripod, or an approved column clamp or wall mount.
- Keep the line of sight clear. People and equipment crossing between the tracker and the reflector break the lock. Plan the setup so foot traffic doesn't run through the beam path — which also keeps the beam out of people's faces.
- Let it warm up and stay in its rated temperature range.
- Power down and pack it as directed before moving it. Don't lift or reposition the tracker by the optical head.