Analyzes the dangers of lasers in a classroom situation to formulate safety standards which are contrasted with federal regulations. Suggests that every laser user should check with the safety precautions to reduce the probability of producing a burn per student contact to extremely low levels. (CC)

Experimental data, Federal and State regulations, and user data are presented to assess the safety factors of low-power lasers. General safety precautions, basic laser theory, the place of the laser in the classroom, and some introductory exercises are also presented. (Author/TS)