Do I Need Safety Glass in my Commercial Property?

Safety glass is an extremely advantageous way to quickly and effectively improve the safety standards of your site.

Safety glass is a specialist type of glass, which is designed to minimise the safety risks that could be caused by the glass breaking. This glass is engineered so that, when the glass breaks, it does not shatter into large sharp shards. As a result, it is a much safer option than regular glass, and it is widely used in commercial properties.

In this article, we have explored the safety regulations and best practices that businesses need to follow regarding the use of glass in commercial properties, to ensure the highest safety standards for your staff and customers.

Keep reading to find out more about the regulations impacting the type of glass that you can use in each of the three critical areas for glass, and the different types of glass that are suitable for these instances.

What are the safety marks for toughened glass?

Safety glass regulations are imposed in commercial buildings to protect any people on site, and ensure that they are at minimal risk of injury from shards of glass, if a pane of glass breaks.

A core part of these glazing requirements are the specifications of ‘critical locations’. These locations are deemed to be the areas of a commercial property that represent the highest likelihood of injury, if a pane of glass breaks.

In these areas, building regulations dictate that either safety glass must be used, or safety guards must be added. These regulations encompass glass used in doors and door side panels, plus low windows, and any other low-level glass that is present in either the building’s walls or partitions.

The safety marks required for these areas are as follows:

• For toughened glass: BS EN 12150 – this mark ensures that, when used in critical areas, toughened glass complies with the required safety standards.
• For laminated glass: BS EN 14449 – this confirms that laminated glass has attained the required safety and performance criteria.
• BS 6206 – a specification for impact performance requirement, which covers flat safety glass.

What regulations impact the type of glass that can be used in a building’s critical areas?

The 3 ‘critical areas’ for glass are; doors, windows and low-level glass.

Specific building regulations impact the type of glass that can be used in each of these areas, to keep health and safety risks to the absolute minimum.

Regulations for Glass in Doors

• Safety glass is to be used in any doors or next to a door and anything under 800mm in height from the floor.
• It must be made from laminated or toughened Class C safety glass, which is compliant with BS 6206.
• If its width or height is greater than 900mm, the glass must be Class B of BS 6206.
• The glass must be marked (as specified in the BS 6206 regulations) and these markings must remain visible after the glass has been installed.

If the glass panels are less than 250mm wide, then 6mm glass or laminated glass can be used.

However, if the glazed areas are at a point at or below 800mm from the floor, then safety glass must be used. For these purposes, 4mm toughened glass is the most common choice.

Regulations for Glass in Windows

• Glass that starts at a point at or below 800mm from the floor has to be safety glass.
• Glass that is at a point at or less than 300mm away from the edge of a door has to be safety glass.
• It must be made from laminated or toughened Class C safety glass, which is compliant with BS 6206.
• The glass must be marked (as specified in the BS 6206 regulations) and these markings must remain visible after the glass has been installed.

If the glass panels are less than 250mm wide, then 6mm glass or laminated glass can be used.

However, if the glazed areas are at a point at or below 1500mm from the floor, then safety glass must be used.

Regulations for Low-level Glass

• Glass that starts at a point at or below 800mm from the floor has to be safety glass (this includes windows that are more than 300mm away from a door, if the bottom of the glass is less than 800mm above the floor.
• It must be made from laminated or toughened Class C safety glass, which is compliant with BS 6206.
• If its width or height is greater than 900mm, the glass must be Class B of BS 6206.
• The glass must be marked (as specified in the BS 6206 regulations) and these markings must remain visible after the glass has been installed.

By following these safety regulations and best practices, you can ensure that your site remains legally compliant, and is safe for both your staff and customers alike.

If you have any further questions about glass safety regulations, or are looking for a trusted, accredited commercial glass supplier, speak to the Stevenage Glass team today.