ALEXANDRIA, Va.—The Vision Council, as the secretariat administrator for Accredited Standards Committee Z80, has announced the publication by ANSI of the 2015 revision of Standard Z80.3, Nonprescription Sunglasses and Fashion Eyewear Requirements.

ANSI Standard Z80.3, Nonprescription Sunglasses and Fashion Eyewear Requirements, applies to all nonprescription (over-the-counter) sunglasses and fashion eyewear that are normally used for casual, dress and recreational purposes, having lenses of substantially plano power. This revision incorporates a continued effort to more properly explain and clarify concepts and principles, and to more closely align requirements of this standard with similar relevant provisions in existing U.S. and international standards.

The 2015 revision of Standard Z80.3 supersedes the 2010 Standard and represents five years of work by a team of industry experts, led by chairman Karl Citek, OD, PhD, representing the American Optometric Association. The changes from the 2010 standard are the result of a thorough study by the ANSI Z80.3 committee of the relevance and applicability of its contents.

A copy of the standard publications is available in the ANSI web store. A summary of the changes can be found in the foreword of the document.

The Accredited Standards Committee Z80 (ASC Z80) is a long established group tasked with the development of national standards that apply to prescription and non-prescription eyeglasses, contact lenses, ophthalmic instruments and medical devices including intraocular lenses and laser systems, and is the only entity accredited by ANSI to develop national standards in the ophthalmic optics field.

Questions or comments about Standard Z80.3 revision should be directed to The Vision Council’s technical director Michael Vitale.