Laser Eye Protection and Color Recognition and Discrimination in Aviation

Abstract. The number of reported laser strikes on aircraft has increased over the years. Laser strikes pose a threat to safety and pilot health. Laser eye protection (LEP) is one mitigation method available to pilots; however, LEP can affect a person’s color vision. This exploratory study investigated the effect of LEP on color recognition and discrimination of four colors – red, blue, green, and amber – using a sample of 90 participants. When using the LEP, most participants were still able to identify the correct color, but color discrimination between different shades of the same color proved to be less accurate. Of the investigated colors, results suggested that color recognition of amber was the most affected by LEP.