A method for ensuring safety critical functionality for a laser engraver includes obtaining a command from a laser motor controller; obtaining sensor data from a plurality of sensors, the sensor data corresponding to an operating status of various components of the laser engraver; determining a functioning status for each component; and as a result of determining the functioning status for all of the components, enabling supply of power to a laser, where the method is performed by a safety controller that is embodied in hardware completely separate from hardware in which the laser motor controller is embodied. One example required functioning status is that a power button has been selected twice in quick succession.