New clampdown on laser pointers as report shows increased injuries

LONDON, Jan. 8 (Xinhua) -- More than 150 people in Britain, the vast majority of them children, have suffered eye injuries caused by laser pointers since 2013, the government said in a statement Monday

In many cases neither children nor their parents were aware of the dangers, said the government as it announced a major initiative to raise awareness of the risks associated with laser pointers.

The government announced new measures Monday to tackle the sale of unsafe laser pointers, including strengthening safeguards to stop high-powered lasers entering Britain.

New measures will include supporting local authority teams to carry out increased checks at the border, including testing products to ensure they are safe. The support will also ensure local authority teams have access to the necessary scientific, technical and testing expertise.

The government also plans to work with manufacturers and retailers to improve laser pointer labeling, indicating that they must not be pointed at eyes or at vehicles and must state the power level of the product. The policing of online laser pointer sales will also be improved by working with online retailers including eBay.

The Civil Aviation Authority received reports of 1,258 laser incidents in 2016, with London Heathrow airport the most frequent location for reports of the devices being used recklessly.

The figures about eye injuries follows concern over the number of laser beam attacks against the rail network. Records from British Transport Police show that between 2011 and 2017 a total of 578 laser incidents were recorded.

The Department for Transport's laser misuse bill, due to be discussed Tuesday in the House of Commons, will expand the list of vehicles, beyond planes, which it is an offence to target with lasers.

Consumer Minister Margot James said: "The government has listened to concerns from pilots, health professionals and safety experts, which is why we are going further than ever before to crack down on the sale of unsafe devices."

John O'Hagan from Public Health England said: "We have become increasingly concerned about the dangers of growing numbers of unlabelled and incorrectly labeled high power laser pointers being bought by the public. It is tragic that we continue to see eye injuries, especially in children."

Brian Strutton, general secretary of the British Airline Pilots Association (BALPA), said: "The tougher restrictions on importation should hopefully stop high-powered lasers reaching the hands of those with ill-intentions in the first place.

"Shining a laser at an aircraft is extremely dangerous and has the potential to cause a crash that could be fatal to not only those on board, but people on the ground too." Enditem