Norway to tighten laser regulations after recent eye injuries

Norway’s health ministry will order a review of laser safety rules following two recent eye injuries linked to high-powered lasers, national broadcaster NRK reported Wednesday.

Health minister Jan Christian Vestre (Labour) told NRK he would “within a very short time” task the Directorate for Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety (DSA) with drafting stricter regulations and launching a public consultation. “It is clear that laser use must be tightened,” Vestre wrote in an email to NRK, citing both enforcement of existing rules and further restrictions.

The move follows two separate incidents this month. On May 17, a russ—a Norwegian high school graduate celebrating their final year—lost vision in one eye after being struck by laser light. Police later confirmed a second graduate had sustained an eye injury “consistent with laser exposure.”

DSA section head Bård Olsen told Dagbladet the agency had long warned about the rising use of lasers in public light displays, particularly during russ celebrations. “We have been concerned about the increasing use of lasers for light shows, especially among graduates,” Olsen wrote. “There is a need for stricter control and regulation of laser use, particularly in public spaces.”

Current rules require DSA approval for handheld laser pointers but impose no equivalent restrictions on high-powered lasers used in public installations—a gap Olsen called “illogical.” Five years ago, DSA proposed extending approval requirements to cover powerful public lasers but received no response from the health ministry.

Tags: norway, public safety, regulation