Sunglasses recall to protect consumers

Swift action by a Melbourne sunglasses distributor in response to Australian Competition and Consumer Commission concerns has meant that Australian consumers will not be putting their eyes at risk this summer.

Sandra Powell and Associates, trading as The Accessory Company, was alerted by the ACCC to problems with a pair of brown tinted sunglasses it supplied to the Myer-Grace Bros chain, ACCC Chairman, Professor Allan Fels, said today.

ACCC staff had bought the sunglasses as part of the regular sunglasses survey. The survey monitors industry compliance with a mandatory product standard which has been introduced to protect consumers' eyesight.Et Vous sunglasses for testing and advised the company that it was suspected they did not meet the mandatory product standard dealing with tinted lenses.

The Accessory Company immediately ceased supply of nine models of brown-tinted sunglasses.

Testing confirmed the ACCC's suspicions that the sunglasses should carry a warning for people with defective colour vision as the brown tint could affect colour perception.

The company subsequently voluntarily submitted 42 other models of Et Vous sunglasses for testing. The nine brown-tinted lenses sunglasses all failed the standard. A further 14 failed in other areas. The company volunteered to do a consumer product safety recall notice for all these sunglasses and a further three which were found to be borderline.

Some of the non-complying models require a warning for defective colour vision and/or the warning for not being suitable for drivers. In some others the field of vision was too small and others had lens properties which could cause blurred vision and misjudgment of depth of field.

In the latter cases, the sunglasses cannot be labelled so they comply.

The company has offered consumers either a refund or replacement of the sunglasses which comply with the standard.