On April 8, a total solar eclipse will cross North America. The entire event will take about two and a half hours, and totality will last about four minutes; it is important you are aware of the time of totality for your location so you can ensure your crews remain safe and avoid severe eye injury when they are on job sites.
The American Academy of Ophthalmology says the only safe way to look directly at the sun is through special-purpose solar filters used in eclipse glasses and hand-held solar viewers, according to the National Safety Council. Eclipse glasses are available for purchase at big-box stores, electronics supply outlets and online; find glasses that carry the certification insignia ISO 12312-2.
NASA outlines the following rules for viewing a total solar eclipse.
- Do not look directly at the sun.
- Do not use homemade filters or ordinary sunglasses, even extremely dark sunglasses.
- Use special solar filters, such as eclipse glasses or handheld solar viewers, to view the eclipse.
- Read and follow filter instructions and supervise children.
- In any stage of eclipse, do not look at the sun through a camera, telescope, binoculars or other optical device, and never use solar filters with these devices because concentrated solar rays will damage them and can cause serious eye injury.
- Inspect your solar filter before use; if it is scratched or damaged, discard the filter.
- Pinhole projection is a safe way to view the sun in an indirect manner; Exploratorium provides instructions regarding “How to Build a Sun Viewer” and other methods for safely viewing the sun.
View additional information from NASA, the American Astronomical Society and the National Solar Observatory regarding safety during a total solar eclipse.
