WCO Seal of Acceptance for Ultraviolet Absorbers/Blockers

What are the criteria for the new WCO Seal?

• The WCO's Global Commission on Ophthalmic Standards specified the minimum requirements and test procedures for acceptance of products for the WCO Seal of Acceptance for Ultraviolet Absorbers/Blockers.
• They include that product samples must be tested in an independent analysis and must block at least 99 percent of UVA and UVB, and must block at least 80 percent of radiant energy between 380 and 400 nm.
• Each product unit in the tested sample must meet the parameter tolerances in order to be considered to meet the standard.

Why did Transitions pursue acceptance for the new WCO Seal?

• Transitions Optical's mission is to build awareness of the need for healthy sight, and to provide convenient protection and visual comfort in addition to visual quality for every patient.
• To advance this Healthy Sight mission, Transitions Optical sees it as vital to provide tools to Eyecare Practitioners (ECPs) worldwide to aid them in educating patients about the risks of UV damage to their eyes.
• This new WCO Global Seal is one way to further build awareness about the need for UV protection and will encourage the public to seek healthy sight solutions from ECPs.

What does the new WCO Global Seal mean to the eyecare industry? Manufacturers? ECPs?

• The WCO Global Seal is a new way for manufacturers to identify that their product meets or exceeds global standards.
• With hundreds of new ophthalmic products introduced annually, the WCO Global Seal becomes a helpful criterion to aid ECPs when evaluating the UV safety of the many lens offerings.
• It will aid ECPs in selecting healthy sight solutions for patients and help better communicate the eye health benefits of products to patients.
• The very existence of the WCO Global Seal will help elevate attention worldwide of the need for UV protection and, in turn, reinforce the value of ECPs' recommendations while aligning their practice with the best the industry has to offer.

What does the new WCO Global Seal of Acceptance mean to consumers?

• The WCO Seal of Acceptance provides an important public service.
• The existence of the seal establishes that there are guidelines related to the amount of UV protection available and that consumers have a choice among products.
• The seal brings attention to the need for UV protection by signaling the importance of quality products.

How can a manufacturer receive a WCO Global Seal for its product?

• Any manufacturer of an ophthalmic related product may submit its product for evaluation.
• To meet the requirements of the WCO Global Seal, the manufacturer of the product must supply the product samples for an independent evaluation to test that the product meets or exceeds the requirements for UV absorption/blockage.
• The WCO requires that the product must be processed through the protocols of the American Optometric Association.

How are the products tested? Who does the testing?

• Product testing is performed by an approved third party testing facility.
• These are laboratories that have agreed to abide by specific guidelines and quality assurance procedures.

Have any other companies' products been granted the WCO Global Seal?

• No. The WCO Global Seal has just been launched today.
• Transitions' has always taken a leadership role in UV awareness initiatives like the WCO Global Seal.

Is this seal just for photochromics or will it rate the UV blocking ability of any ophthalmic product (i.e. lens materials, coatings, contact lenses)?

• The WCO Global Seal of Acceptance for Ultraviolet Absorbers/Blockers may be relevant to any product that has the ability to absorb or block UV radiation.
• Currently, the WCO will accept applications for prescription lenses only.

Do you think there is low awareness of the need for UV protection for the eyes among the public?

• Research we've conducted has shown there is low awareness of the danger of UV to eye health. (see survey results attached below)
• Anecdotally, many people use protection to block UV in obvious conditions such as when at the beach or snow-skiing. However, the effects on the eyes of UV radiation are cumulative, so reducing the “everyday” amounts of UV reaching the eyes is important as well.

What efforts will the WCO put behind educating the industry about the WCO Global Seal?

• WCO will globally publicize the Seal through Public Relations efforts and through the Public Relations efforts of its member associations.
• The WCO Global Seal will be featured on the WCO Web site and in publications such as the newsletter.
• Manufacturers will be invited to apply for the WCO Global Seal for their products.

What efforts will Transitions put behind educating the industry about the WCO Global Seal?

• Transitions will share news of the WCO Global Seal of Acceptance and its significance first within the industry, to our partners and customers and to ECPs.
• We will then communicate both with them and directly to consumers through the many aspects of our eye health initiative.

How will consumers know when they have purchased a product that has been awarded the WCO Global Seal of Acceptance?

• ECPs should mention the WCO Global Seal when explaining the benefits of the product.
• Transitions Optical is planning opportunities to drive awareness of the WCO Global Seal through its communications efforts.

Will Transitions be including the WCO Global Seal on all of its product packaging and/or POS?

• We are proud to have been the first to be accepted by the WCO for this seal.
• We have not finalized our plans for usage of the WCO Global Seal, but see it as playing an important role in our eye health initiatives and our communications efforts.

Why does the WCO measure UV blockage and not protection?

• Blockage can be measured, while the level of UV “protection” a product provides can not since the manner and circumstances under which it may be used can vary significantly.
• For instance, if a patient chooses a very small frame, such as a 40 Eye size, quite a bit of UV will go around the lens and into the eye. While the lens may block 100% of the UV rays that hit it, some UV may still reach the eye, so the eye is not truly receiving 100% protection.
• Since it is possible to measure the UV blocking (absorption/reflection) ability of a product, this is the measurement used in relation to the WCO Global Seal.

Doesn't Transitions say its products provide 100% UV protection?

• Transitions lenses provide 100% BLOCKAGE of UV.
• However, Transitions agrees that wearing a lens that blocks UV is just part of the overall holistic approach to healthy sight. This is why Transitions lenses should be worn as part of an overall sun protection regimen including wearing a hat, sunscreen, etc.

How does this compliance differ from ISO standards?

• The WCO Global Seal complements existing voluntary ISO standards, but the WCO Global Seal sets more rigorous specifications which are also independently validated by external, impartial WCO testing.

Does the WCO monitor products to ensure the maintenance of quality?

• The WCO conducts reviews on an annual basis. The manufacturer must assure the WCO that the products remain identical to those originally tested, and the manufacturing process remains the same.

What are the requirements of manufacturers in communicating products with the WCO Global Seal to consumers?

• The manufacturer must use the WCO Global Seal of Acceptance in accordance with the scope and function for the WCO Global Seal of Acceptance Program as defined by the WCO. Refer to WCO for specifics.