Abstract: The invention provides an arrangement for scanning bar codes applied to articles, such as UPC or EAN codes of goods in a supermarket cashier stand. A laser scanner is provided with a window through which the scanning rays exit before they impinge on a scanning area (11). The laser scanner (4) is arranged at the side of the transport flow and with its window (5) tilted to the rear and being above the transport plane (6). The different rays (20-23, 25-25c, 26-26c, 30a-30f, 31a-31f) of the cluster of scanning rays of scanner (4) are oriented such that they are concentrated and focused mainly on the scanning area (11) in front of the window (5), that they do not leave the transport plane (6) immediately opposite the window, and that generally a ray-free area is formed there where at least head and chest of an operating cashier (1) that sits opposite to the scanner (4) with its window ( 5), is situated.