Generally 850nm IR LEDs are not considered lasers...
Yes, Lasers are not LED's, they are LD's, laser diodes.
Because of their degree of collimation, they are able to support long range illumination. Used to be they would be on FLIR, Moog or Cohu stuff.
I'm not sure the danger is that great to the public because the angle narrows (or should) based on the distance to subject. And even though they start out as tight beams, they are still subject to the inverse square law, so ....
Danger to the installer, yes, because you don't realize you're staring at it until too late, esp. with the 940mm kind. I've heard there is a danger even with high-power IR LEDS if you are working right up against them.
I feel safer working in bright sun light, since it shrinks your pupils and thereby which offers a smaller target, though obviously I'm not recommending this as an actual solution. But if you work in the day, they shouldn't be on anyway right?
so then China found out about them and now a bunch make'em
Dahua Laser PTZ