On Monday, April 8, 2024, a total solar eclipse will grace North America, casting Manitoba into a rare celestial event. With up to a 70% partial solar eclipse visible across the province between 12 p.m. and 3:15 p.m., excitement mounts, but so do safety concerns.
Eclipse Eye Safety
Direct viewing of the sun, even during an eclipse, can cause severe eye damage. To safeguard your vision, use specialized eye protection like ISO 12312-2 certified eclipse glasses or solar viewers. Regular sunglasses, while they may reduce glare, are not designed to protect your eyes from the intense solar radiation emitted during an eclipse. They lack the specialized filters necessary to block out harmful ultraviolet (UV) and infrared (IR) rays, which can penetrate the lenses and cause serious damage to your eyesight, even leading to permanent vision loss. Therefore, relying solely on regular sunglasses to view a solar eclipse poses a significant risk to your ocular health.
Workplace Safety
Employers, ensure worker safety during the eclipse:
- Deliver a safety talk to inform workers of the health risks that come with looking at the sun, including during an eclipse.
- Complete a hazard analysis that accounts for the change in conditions and tasks being completed during the eclipse. Review the analysis with workers.
- A total eclipse creates temporary darkness. Ensure the jobsite is adequately lit and that workers wear high-visibility clothing.
- Inform workers of safe ways to view the eclipse, emphasizing the importance of using approved eye protection, not makeshift filters.
- Set up a designated eclipse-viewing area—with proper equipment such as ISO-approved solar viewers or pinhole cameras—where interested workers can observe the event safely.
- Let workers know to seek immediate medical help if they experience health issues during the eclipse.
Safe Viewing Methods:
Indirect methods, such as pinhole cameras or online live streams, offer risk-free eclipse viewing experiences.
For more information on safely experiencing the upcoming solar eclipse, visit NASA's website: NASA Eclipse Safety
