Final answer:
Persons exposed to laser light within the NOHD can suffer from eye injuries like welder's flash, cataracts, and potentially permanent retinal damage, leading to blindness. Protective gear such as welders' goggles is essential to prevent burns on the retina.
Step-by-step explanation:
If a person stood within the Nominal Ocular Hazard Distance (NOHD) without using magnifying optics when a laser device was fired, they could potentially suffer from a variety of eye injuries.
Exposure to high intensity laser light, especially UVB, can cause damage such as welder's flash (photo keratitis or arc eye), which is a painful but usually temporary condition. However, more severe exposure can lead to the development of cataracts and possibly permanent damage to the retina, which can lead to irreversible vision loss or even blindness. Additionally, it can cause burns on the skin and without proper eye protection, like welders' goggles or helmets equipped with special filters, the intense thermal energy can burn the retina of the unprotected eye.