NO TIME TO SPARE

Last-Second Recall Issued for Some Solar Eclipse Glasses

The Illinois Department of Health blasted out the recall on Monday, saying those who didn’t heed their warning may suffer “serious eye damage.”

Just hours before it is slated to be square in the middle of the totality zone for Monday’s solar eclipse, the Illinois Department of Health issued an urgent recall for some eclipse glasses sold in the state and on Amazon, saying they could lead to “serious eye damage” if used. The full name for the glasses in question, as labeled on Amazon, were the “Bikini Solar Eclipse Glasses AAs Approved 2024 - CE & ISO Certified Safe Shades for Direct Sun Viewing (6 Packs).” Illinois officials didn’t specify exactly what made the glasses unsafe to use, but said those that have been recalled are labeled as “EN ISO 12312-1:2022.” Proper safety glasses should carry the ISO designation of 12312-2 and be made in America, officials said. The Rochester, New York, news station WHEC reported this weekend that Amazon shoppers who purchased the faulty glasses received an email alerting them that the glasses’ label, “AAS Approved,” was incorrect. An Amazon spokesperson told WHEC the decision to warn purchasers was “out of an abundance of caution.”