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Sunglasses

Sunglasses are important for consumer protection

How safe are your sunglasses? What if the tint or the shade of the lens made it difficult to distinguish between a red traffic light and a green one? What if bubbles and cracks in the lens made it harder to see than if you weren't wearing sunglasses at all? What if the materials used in the construction of the glasses themselves were flammable and began to burn while you were wearing them?

According to experts at The Vision Council, a trade association for the optical industry, the two main questions people ask when shopping for sunglasses deal with fashion (e.g., "how do they look?) and function (e.g., "are they dark enough?). In fact, most people purchase non prescription, or "fashion," eyewear without any advice from eye care professionals.

So the question remains, how safe are your sunglasses?

Standards do exist: Z80.3

Protecting the safety of the consumer is of paramount importance to the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), a private non-profit organization that administers and coordinates the U.S. voluntary standardization and conformity assessment program. ANSI confirms that a standard for non prescription eyewear does exist (reference: ANSI / Z80.3 - 2008, Nonprescription Sunglasses and Fashion Eyewear - Requirements).

ANSI didn't write the ANSI / Z80.3. Rather, the Z80 ANSI-accredited Standards Committee developed the standard. ANSI also approved The Vision Council to serve as secretariat (administrative organization) for the Z80 Committee. In developing ANSI Z80.3, the Z80 Committee acted on behalf of consumer interests to research and resolve relevant safety issues pertaining to sunglasses and to provide the test methods used to ensure those problems are solved. There is consumer participation at all levels of the standards development process. Sometimes the participation is by consumers themselves; at other times representation is through a consumer organization. As an example, the Consumer Product Safety Commission's (CPSC) acts as an advocate for the consumer. CPSC works to reduce the risk of injuries and deaths from consumer products by developing voluntary standards with industry and issuing and enforcing mandatory standards. CPSC representatives participate in the technical development of voluntary standards when there's a significant issue or need identified.

The procedures used by each of the nearly 220 ANSI-accredited standards developers, such as the Z80 Committee, are written to assure that everyone is able to participate in the development and review of proposed American National Standards. They may participate through direct membership or by submitting a contribution during public review and comment.

Ken Wood of The Vision Council, says the Z80.3 standard stipulates criteria for aspects of quality and safety that the consumer would not be able to assess visually. This includes elements such as transmittance (e.g., being able to distinguish between a green and yellow light in average daylight), cosmetic quality (eliminating cracks or bubbles in the plastic), and durability tests (including flame resistance).

One safety issue that consumers do tend to be aware of is protection from ultraviolet radiation (UVA and UVB). Mr. Wood notes that the amount of UVA and UVB protection depends upon how a consumer intends to use the sunglasses, the two types of use classified as Normal Use (from home to the car to the office) or High and Prolonged Exposure (at the beach, fishing, skiing). Lenses are also classified for intended function as special, dark, general purpose or cosmetic tint. The combination of the intended function and the type of use gives a total of eight UV transmittance specifications.

Consumer awareness is key

ANSI's role is to ensure that the standard has been developed with input from all directly and materially affected parties, that the input has been carefully considered and responded to, and that a consensus of all appropriate interests exists for approval of the standard. However, because ANSI standards are voluntary, manufacturers may choose whether or not they build their product in accordance with the ANSI Z80.3 specification. Consumers share in the burden of responsibility.

If the safety and quality aspects described above are important to the consumer, they must research to determine which manufacturers - and which sunglasses - meet these requirements. In many cases, manufacturers will label their product with a sticker or tag that states compliance with the ANSI standard. But, because the Z80 Committee did not include labeling requirements in the Z80.3 standard, even products without a label may still be safe.

Sunglasses serve an important purpose in protecting people's eyes from sun damage, thus determining if the sunglasses product they seek "meets the standard" is especially important for improved health and well-being. Until every pair of glasses is built to standard and labeled, the consumer must put some consideration into factors other than fashion and design. Looking into which manufacturers do follow standards is a good place to begin.

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