How to watch the eclipse of August 12 without getting hurt: recommendations and risks

The EN ISO 12312-2 standard establishes very detailed technical requirements for glasses and filters intended for direct observation of the Sun (for example, for eclipses), but I do not have access to the full technical content of the standard nor am I designed to advise on product certification; my scope is political, regulatory, and current social information. Therefore, I cannot break down the specific requirements that a manufacturer must meet to certify their glasses according to EN ISO 12312‑2. However, I can guide you on the regulatory context and the official and journalistic sources where you can find that information reliably. Below I explain what type of issues I do cover and where you can find the technical details of the standard.

Scope in which I can help

As an assistant specialized in politics and regulatory current affairs in Spain, I can provide context on:

• Government decisions and public campaigns related to eclipses and eye safety, such as the distribution of safe glasses coordinated by the Government of Spain and the ONCE Social Group, covered by the newspaper Demócrata in news such as Government and ONCE, or by other media in pieces like InfoSalus about the free distribution of glasses for the eclipse (state campaign).
• Official notes from autonomous communities reminding the obligation to use glasses with ISO 12312‑2 certification and CE marking: for example, the Junta de Andalucía in its consumer recommendations (consumer note and second note), or the Govern de Catalunya in its device for the eclipse, where it is specified that the ISO 12312‑2 standard sets the safety requirements for glasses designed to look directly at the Sun (Catalan device).
• References in the BOE to UNE standard projects based on EN ISO 12312‑2, such as the resolution that submits the PNE‑prEN ISO 12312‑2 project on eye and face protection, sunglasses, and related equipment to public information (BOE resolution).

Where to consult the technical requirements of EN ISO 12312‑2

The details of the requirements that manufacturers must meet (optical tests, maximum levels of radiation transmission, marking, documentation, etc.) are only in the full text of the standard, which is acquired through standardization bodies:

• AENOR, which markets the Spanish version UNE‑EN ISO 12312‑2, accessible from its technical standards catalogs.
• European and international standardization bodies, referred to in the aforementioned resolution of the Ministry of Industry published in the BOE.

Additionally, various administrations and consumer entities summarize some elements for the general public. For example, the Organization of Consumers and Users, in information disseminated by InfoSalus, reminds that the appropriate glasses for the eclipse must have CE marking and reference “EN ISO 12312‑2:2015” on the frame, as a key requirement for the consumer (OCU recommendation).

Political and current context about glasses for eclipses

In recent months, there has been extensive political and social coverage around the total eclipse of 2026 and eye safety. The newspaper Demócrata has closely followed these campaigns with news about the call from the President of the Government for caution before the eclipse (Sánchez's message), details of the free distribution of two million certified glasses (Government‑ONCE agreement, FECYT campaign, how to get them, territorial device) and explanations about which glasses are safe and how to check it (Consumer advice, risks to vision, 2026 eclipse guide).

Other regional and local governments have launched similar messages, insisting on the use of filters certified under ISO 12312‑2: the Basque Government in its information campaign (Basque campaign), the Pamplona City Council in the distribution of glasses to vulnerable populations (Pamplona program), the Valencia City Council in its special device (Valencia plan) or the Scientific Museums of A Coruña distributing approved lenses (A Coruña initiative).

Other related regulatory-political references

Although they do not develop the technical detail of EN ISO 12312‑2, they illustrate how standardization is integrated into public policies and aid: the royal decree of aid for children's glasses and contact lenses covered by Demócrata (aid for children's glasses), the European Commission's warnings to Spain about the V16 beacon and its technical requirements (V16 beacon) or the resolution on UNE standard projects mentioned earlier in the BOE. Other examples from Demócrata, such as Indra's obtaining ISO 56001 (ISO 56001) or the ISO 9001:2015 certification of the CIFA laboratory (ISO 9001 at CIFA), can also serve as general context on ISO certifications.

In summary: to know precisely which tests, attenuation levels, and formal requirements a manufacturer must meet to certify their glasses under EN ISO 12312‑2, it is essential to refer to the text of the standard (UNE‑EN ISO 12312‑2) through AENOR or other standardization bodies; my role is limited to providing the political and regulatory framework, as well as the main public and media references related to its application in Spain.

The competencies of the Ministry of Health in the prevention of ocular risks do not appear as a "monographic" block on vision, but are integrated into its general functions of public health, medical products, and, to a lesser extent, occupational risk prevention. Based on Law 33/2011, General Public Health, the still partially in force Law 14/1986, General Health, and the regulations on medical products and the Ministry's own structure, its role can be distinguished in four areas: coordination and planning, regulatory regulation, surveillance and control, and health promotion/education.

General public health framework

The Law 33/2011, General Public Health is today the axis of Health's competencies in prevention. It develops the constitutional mandate to protect health through preventive and promotional measures, and complements the Law 14/1986, General Health, which remains partially in force. These laws assign the Ministry functions of:

• Coordination/planning: setting common public health bases and criteria for the entire territory, developing state strategies and plans, and coordinating autonomous communities in matters affecting health risks, which includes ocular risks (for example, from radiation, products, lifestyles, or work environments).
• Health promotion and education: designing campaigns and information programs for the population about healthy habits and disease prevention, which may include messages about vision protection (use of eye protection, screens, UV light, etc.).

Medical products and safety of glasses, lenses, etc.

The prevention of ocular risks is closely linked to the safety of products applied to or used on the eyes (prescription and sunglasses, contact lenses, certain ocular medical products, instruments, etc.). Here the Ministry of Health's role is mainly articulated through the medical products regime:

• The Royal Decree 192/2023, on medical products, which adapts Regulation (EU) 2017/745, establishes that the national competent authority is the Spanish Agency of Medicines and Medical Devices (AEMPS), a state body attached to the Ministry. This royal decree specifies:
  • Health guarantees that products must meet (safety, absence of unacceptable risks for patients and users, including ocular health).
  • Designation and supervision of notified bodies that certify product conformity.
  • Requirements for manufacturing, import, marketing, and market control, including cooperation between AEMPS and autonomous communities.
• The AEMPS is regulated by Royal Decree 1275/2011, amended by Royal Decree 271/2022, which strengthens its structure to apply European medical product regulations. Through AEMPS, Health exercises:
  • Technical regulation and registration of medical products.
  • Incident and alert surveillance (for example, recalls of defective contact lens batches).
  • Market control and inspection, in coordination with regional and consumer authorities.
• In the field of external health and border control, pharmaceutical and medical product inspection is ordered by Order SCB/278/2019 and inspector personnel identification is regulated by Order SND/84/2023. This allows the Ministry to prevent the entry of unsafe products that could cause ocular damage.

Occupational risk prevention with ocular impact

The Law 31/1995, on Occupational Risk Prevention establishes the general policy for protecting workers' health. Although the leading competence is the Ministry of Labor, the Ministry of Health intervenes as a health and public health authority in several regulatory developments that directly affect vision:

• Royal Decree 488/1997, on work with equipment including display screens, establishes minimum provisions to prevent visual fatigue and other ocular risks, within a general framework where health authorities provide technical criteria.
• Royal Decree 486/2010, on protection against artificial optical radiation, sets employer obligations to avoid ocular damage from lasers, intense lamps, etc., integrating health knowledge into the regulation of these physical risks.
• Royal Decree 843/2011 establishes the basic criteria for the health activity of occupational risk prevention services. This includes health surveillance, with the capacity to detect and monitor visual health problems derived from work and propose preventive measures.

Although labor inspection depends on Labor, workers' health surveillance and health criteria related to ocular risks rely on the technical functions of the Ministry of Health and its bodies.

Organizational structure and internal functions

The above competencies are channeled through the Ministry's organizational structure. This has been configured through successive royal decrees, including Royal Decree 200/2012, Royal Decree 485/2017, and Royal Decree 1047/2018, which distribute functions among the Directorate General of Public Health, AEMPS, and other units. These units assume:

• Planning and coordination of public health policies and product safety.
• Development of technical regulations and participation in European groups on medical products and physical risks (including those affecting the eyes).
• Health promotion programs, where specific content on visual health and eye protection can be integrated.

In summary, the Ministry of Health does not directly manage all ocular pathology (which falls on the care services of the National Health System), but it plays a key role in preventing ocular risks through regulation and control of medical products, providing technical criteria in occupational risk prevention, and planning and promoting general public health policies that include vision protection.

With the available information, it is not recorded that in previous eclipses (2015, 2017, 2019, 2021, or 2024) the Spanish regional governments organized large campaigns of free distribution of glasses like the one launched for the total eclipse on August 12, 2026. What is clearly documented is that, for 2026, the massive distribution is coordinated by the Government of Spain with ONCE at the state level, and that some communities and municipalities have joined by reinforcing distribution or directing it to specific groups. Particularly notable are the Community of Madrid and the collaboration of the Government of Navarra through the Pamplona City Council, as well as local initiatives in Valencia, A Coruña, or San Sebastián de los Reyes. Outside this recent context, the sources consulted do not record comparable regional experiences in previous eclipses.

2026 State campaign: general framework

The great qualitative leap occurs with the campaign “A unique view. Take care of it,” promoted by the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities and the ONCE Social Group. According to the newspaper Demócrata, the Government and ONCE will distribute two million certified glasses throughout the country for the eclipse on August 12, 2026 (state glasses campaign; where to get them; details of the agreement; how to get them for free). ONCE assumes 1.7 million units and FECYT distributes 300,000 among museums and science centers.

This operation is also part of a broader political and scientific package about the so-called “Trio of eclipses” 2026‑2028, supported by the General Courts (parliamentary support) and accompanied by safety campaigns from OCU and medical societies (OCU warnings; ophthalmological recommendations; alerts about ocular damage).

Community of Madrid

The only autonomous community for which a massive own distribution of glasses in 2026 is clearly documented is the Community of Madrid. In an official note, the regional government announces that it will make available to citizens a total of 36,500 approved glasses to guarantee safe observation of the phenomenon, which are distributed at 52 observation points in small municipalities and at the eclipse festival in Buitrago del Lozoya (Community of Madrid note). These units add to another 20,000 already previously distributed at fairs and educational centers.

At the municipal level, Madrid city promotes activities at the Planetarium, although the information consulted emphasizes workshops and observation, not a separate own distribution of glasses from the state campaign (Planetarium activities).

Navarra (through Pamplona)

In Navarra, the state campaign is combined with a specific action aimed at vulnerable population. The Pamplona City Council, in collaboration with the Department of University, Innovation and Digital Transformation of the Government of Navarra, will distribute free 7,000 glasses for the eclipse, prioritizing people with medical pathologies or economic difficulties, through social services and the Civivox center network (distribution in Pamplona). Although the distribution is carried out by the city council, the note emphasizes cooperation with the regional government.

Other communities: Galicia, Valencian Community, Balearic Islands, Andalusia

In Galicia, the delegate of the Xunta in A Coruña participates in the presentation of the campaign “Unha vista única. Coídaa,” emphasizing the importance of approved glasses, but the distribution of units is described as part of the ONCE state campaign, not as an autonomous program (Xunta event). At the local level, the A Coruña City Council distributes approved glasses in the Scientific Museums (A Coruña science museums).

In the Valencian Community, the highlighted initiative is municipal: the Valencia City Council gives away one approved glass per person who visits the Energy Office or the Climate Change Observatory, while supplies last (glasses in Valencia), within a broad municipal security and mobility device (municipal eclipse protocol).

In Balearic Islands, the news consulted focuses on strict health recommendations and control of non-approved glasses, but does not mention a massive free distribution assumed by the Government (Balearic measures). In Andalusia, the departments of Presidency, Health, and Consumer issue safety guides and advice on purchasing certified glasses, without describing an autonomous program of free distribution (Consumer recommendations; Health and Consumer note).

Additional municipalities and absence of precedents in 2015‑2024

Besides the cited cases, there are examples of local distributions for 2026, such as San Sebastián de los Reyes (Madrid), which announces 1,000 approved free glasses at its municipal football field (Sanse campaign).

Regarding previous eclipses (2015, 2017, 2019, 2021, 2024), systematic searches in the Demócrata archive and official notes have not returned references to regional campaigns of free glasses distribution comparable in scale or political design to those of 2026. There were generic safety recommendations and the possibility of acquiring certified glasses, but no further information is available in the sources consulted about previous autonomous programs of massive and free distribution.

Other relevant links cited

Below are other links mentioned in the contextual news, mainly from Demócrata and ministries:

• Sánchez's call for caution
• 2026 eclipse map
• tourism impact of the eclipse
• estimated economic impact
• Government calculations on tourists
• alerts about radiation
• solar radiation risks
• Transport Ministry digital resources