CIE Position Statement on the Blue Light Hazard

The International Commission on Illumination – also known as the CIE from its French title, the Commission Internationale de l´Eclairage – is devoted to worldwide cooperation and the exchange of information on all matters relating to the science and art of light and lighting, colour and vision, photobiology and image technology.

CIE position statements are approved by the CIE Board of Administration, which includes the Directors of all the CIE Divisions (the bodies that carry out the scientific work of the CIE), after first ensuring agreement with the relevant CIE Technical Committees.

This position statement puts into context the use of the term “blue light hazard” in line with the CIE’s current position on this term. It provides reassurance that people are normally not at risk of exceeding the internationally agreed blue light hazard exposure limits from white light sources used for illumination. However, it does warn about the inappropriate use of blue LEDs in products, such as toys, which are primarily used by young children.

The position statement is written in English, and is freely downloadable from the CIE website. Also available for download are translations of the position statement into: Spanish, Portuguese, French, German, Dutch, Russian and Chinese.