I used to be a laser optics technician. I took laser safety courses in which we were taught never to wear a specular reflector -- shiny jewelry, wristwatch, mirrored anything, belt buckle -- around laser beams because a beam reflected into your eye could damage the retina. Yet I get hit in the eyes with the little red helium-neon beams in grocery stores all the time.
Ditto for HeNe pointers that some people use as toys.
How did these unprotected beams get to be legally sold?