Are Laser printers harmful?

[Pottsey]

Various place’s, the last one was a Health and safety Workshop a few months back. I was told about the gloves and toner a few years back a well as at the workshop.

 

HS put up these around my office

http://www.lhc.org.uk/members/pubs/factsht/76fact.pdf which explains the dangers of Printers and photocopys

 

"3.Siting and ventilation – ventilation is crucial! Ensure that the area in which the machine is sited has a complete change of air every hour, that the exhaust vent is kept free of obstruction, and that no-one is situated next to the exhaust vent of the machine.Where possible no-one should work in the same room as a copier and where this is not possible no-one should be within 3m of the machine.Machines should not be sited in clusters or in rooms of total volume less than 25 cubic metres."

 

I used that one to get the photocopy moved away from me. That and the noise one as I couldnt make phonecalls.

[john]

The laser on the photo copier damage the eye and shouldn’t be looked at, you should never photocopy with the lid open. Apart from the Health reasons the lid open user's something like x10 more link.

 

Ok the point about more toner is correct as it then covers the page in black toner if the lid is left up so its a waste, and it increases jamming. But the laser, if they are correct, which looks a bit suss to me as they should know a copier uses Toner not Ink!!, is pants. The laser unit in a copier is hidden deep inside it, as it is in a laser printer, so its well away from eyes and hands. I know as I've had one out before and the only way you could laser your eyes with it was to have quite a few panels off that shouldn't be off in normal daily use and various safety catches on doors wedged / jammed to make it think they were still on. If you are doing that you should take adequate precautions such as safety glasses designed for filtering out the laser radiation, gloves etc.

 

I think they are getting at the light that is used for the scanning, and this light is no more harmful than a normal flurecent light fitting that you may have in your kitchen at home or the IT room at work.

[contink]

.. and just to update this little nugget..

 

Fraunhofer boffins: Laser printers safe after all ? The Register