The real issue of eye safety is getting fiber scraps into the eye. You should always check the fiber with a power meter before examining it. Since the light is infrared, you can't see it, which means you cannot tell if there is light present by looking at it. That being said, it's not a good idea to look into a fiber unless you know no source is being transmitted down it. A typical laser pointer, which has a beam that is collimated (not expanding), and is at visible wavelength (650 nm) where the eye is transparent, is probably more danger to the retina than a fiber optic link. Light in the 1300-1550 nm range is unlikely to damage your retina, but might harm the cornea or lens. The infrared light in fiber optic links is at a wavelength that cannot penetrate your eye easily because it's absorbed by the water in your eyeball. If you are using a microscope, which can efficiently focus all the light into your eye, it should have infrared filters to reduce the danger of invisible infrared light. The light that exits an optical fiber is also spreading out in a cone, so the farther away from the end of the fiber your eye is, the lower the amount of power your eye receives. Even the output of OTDRs, WDM and fiber amplifier systems, which are much higher than LED systems, are still well below that used in laser surgery or machining. Optical sources used in fiber optics, especially LEDs used in premises networks, are of much lower power levels than used for laser surgery or cutting materials. However, fiber optics installation is not without risks. Eye safety is an issue, but usually not from light in the fiber. While these images may be real for their applications, they have little relevance to most types of fiber optic communications. They have an image of a laser burning holes in metal or perhaps burning off warts. When most people think of safety in fiber optic installations, the first thing that comes to mind is eye damage from laser light in the fiber. The Fiber Optic Association - Tech Topics
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