Safety when working with CD burner laser
CD RW lasers are generally classified as class 2 when used inside the CDRW case. Protective eye glasses for the specific wavelength are recommended when working with such devices. Also, since you are driving it with a different circuitry, that classification might not be relevant anymore, as the power levels will most likely change.

Edit:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laser_safety

(Added clarification regarding the CDRW laser)