Safety Glass

"Safety Glass" is a term that actually describes two types of glass: tempered glass and laminated glass.

Here is a brief synopsis of safety glazing requirements taken from the Uniform Building Code, 1994 Edition. It is not intended to be all-inclusive; it is a reminder of those situations that require the use of safety glass. Refer to Chapter 24 of the UBC for the complete code requirements for safety glazing.

1. Glazing in enclosures for hot tubs, whirlpools, saunas, steam rooms, bathtubs and showers. Glazing in any portion of a building wall enclosing these compartments where the bottom exposed edge of the glazing is less than 60 inches above a standing surface and drain inlet.

2. Glazing in fixed or operable panels adjacent to a door where the nearest exposed edge of the glazing is within a 24 inch arc of either vertical edge of the door in a closed position and where the bottom exposed edge of the glazing is less than 60 inches above the walking surface.

3. Glazing in an individual fixed or operable panel that meets the following conditions:

Exposed area of an individual pane greater than 9 square feet.
Exposed bottom edge less than 18 inches above the floor.
Exposed top edge greater than 36 inches above the floor.
One or more walking surfaces within 36 inches horizontally of the plane of the glazing.

4. Glazing in walls enclosing stairway landings or within 5 feet of the bottom and top of stairways where the bottom edge of the glass is less than 60 inches above a walking surface.

5. Overhead glazing

6. Glazing in railings regardless of height above a walking surface.

Note: Each municipality or local code authority may be different in their interpretation of safety glazing requirements. back to top

Tempered glass is heat-treated to increase strength and cause a unique fracture pattern. When tempered glass breaks, it fractures into very small fragments (about the size of small pebbles or rock salt), which reduces the likelihood of injury.

Ordering a table top? Please read the following!
If your glass is being used for a furniture top, desk top, table top, etc., it is not required (by law/code) to be tempered. Sometimes, however, people choose to use tempered glass for furniture for safety reasons. Tempered glass is stronger on its flat surface, but more vulnerable to breakage at the edge. When it does break, it instantly shatters into thousands of tiny pieces. Tempered glass will have distortions and imperfections from the tempering process, and is more likely to have small flaws due to the increased amount of handling. Tempered glass can never be cut or otherwise modified again. (If you hit the edge of your tempered table top you could shatter it, but if you hit the edge of your annealed table top you might only chip it, which could be repaired) This information is not a recommendation one way or the other, but should help you to decide if you want tempered or non-tempered (known as "annealed") glass. Of course, if the glass is to be used in a safety glazing application (see requirements above), it must (by law) be tempered.

Unless otherwise specified, tempered glass will have a logo (or "bug") imprinted near one corner to identify it as tempered glass. Without this logo, the only sure way to determine if a piece of glass is tempered is to break it! Tempered glass used in architectural applications usually has a logo, but often tempered glass used for furniture or fixtures is ordered without a logo. Please specify "No Logo" when placing your order if you do not want the permanent logo imprinted on your glass. back to top

Laminated Glass consists of two pieces of glass bonded with an interlayer of plastic material. The interlayer keeps the glass intact when broken and prevents body parts from penetrating the glass. Automotive windshields, for example, are made of laminated glass.

Laminated glass, unlike tempered glass, can be cut. However, laminated glass is only as strong as one of its pieces of glass. For example, 1/4" laminated glass is made of two pieces of 1/8" thick glass, so it is only as strong as a piece of 1/8" glass and will break very easily. Laminated glass is often used in showcases to prevent thieves from simply breaking the glass and grabbing merchandise. back to top

Your safety and the safety of your family, guests and visitors is a responsibility that we take very seriously. We will only replace glass in conformance with both the federal statute and local building code. If one panel of your door system or shower/tub enclosure has been shattered into sharp, dangerous pieces, then the chances are good that all panels are non-safety glass. It is our policy, when replacing a broken panel under these circumstances, to replace all panels with safety glass even if only one is broken (unless there is a logo on the other panels).

For reasons of public safety and because our company rigidly adheres to the law, we may be forced to refuse jobs when asked to use materials that do not conform to safety standards. back to top