Letters: July 04

As chairman of the BSI Sunglass Committee and a delegate to the ISO Sunglass Committee, I was pleased to see that sunglasses with a larger eye size are being demonstrated through the pages of Optician.

However, there remains a problem. The frames are beautiful, but what about the lenses? Do the sunglass lenses, or if you prefer the alternative term ‘filters’, give all the protection needed by the sunglass wearer? Do the sunglass lenses conform to the internationally recognised European Sunglass Standard, EN 1836?

Without this assurance, wearers of sunglasses could be at risk. The natural defence mechanism of the eye – the pupil – could be dilated behind a pair of dark sunglass lenses which may not absorb sufficient UV to give full protection to the eye. In this case you would be safer wearing no sunglasses and letting the eye’s natural defence mechanism kick in. Optician, as a responsible professional journal, must surely take the lead in ensuring that the sunglasses which adorn its pages, are not only good to look at, but also give the full protection which compliance with EN 1836 demands.