Thanks for the information! W.R.T. welding gear, it's typical for cutting glasses to come with a Shade 5 insert, and for arc welding helmets and face shields to be Shade 10. So, according to the recommendations, anything you get stock at the hardware store is likely to be too weak. Now, it's also my understanding that the shade value is for reducing eye strain and the worker's comfort -- too low of a shade will strain your eyes, but it's my understanding that the UV protection is inherent in any shade insert. So, if you do happen to have too weak of a shade insert in your gear, it'll probably make looking at a too-bright source unpleasant, but not dangerous. Again, what I've been told, so don't trust your eyeballs to that! I'd be surprised if the optometrist was giving out insufficient eyewear, since they would likely be legally liable for any eye damage resulting from the use of the glasses they were handing out. Thanks, Jonathan On Thu, Aug 17, 2017 at 10:22 AM, Dan Roganti via vcf-midatlantic < vcf-midatlantic@lists.vintagecomputerfederation.org> wrote:
On Thu, Aug 17, 2017 at 10:15 AM, Jason Perkins <perkins.jason@gmail.com> wrote:
I work for an optometry chain, this email was sent to everyone last week:
If a patient inquires on directly viewing the eclipse, we should advise them that even their darkest sunglasses can’t protect them from damage caused by looking directly at the sun during an eclipse and we recommend avoiding it at all costs. Because our message is clear, and we want to reduce confusion about eclipse safety, we will not be stocking eclipse eyewear within the offices.
Along with the American Optometric Association and NASA, we should also caution our patients against purchasing the ‘eclipse glasses’ found online, as they (like many online products) may not provide the protection claimed by the manufacturer. For more information on eclipse safety, please visit www.aoa.org and eclipse2017.nasa.gov/safety.
FYI, this helps explain the specifications The ANSI Z87.1.1989 spec [American] and the ISO 12312-2 spec [International] are basically the same eye-wear safety spec They both specify the same requirements for the solar filters -- _ ____ / \__/ Scotty, We Need More Power !! \_/ _\__ Aye, Cap'n, but we've only got 80 col's !!