Glass safety is a serious matter. Why? Because without it, you’re vulnerable to injury, accidental damage and even vandalism. But how do you know if your windows meet the health and safety standards?
Don’t worry – we’ve got you covered. From the legal requirements to our cost-effective solutions, here’s everything you need to know about glass safety and security:
Glass Safety Legislation
Regulation 14 (of the Health, Safety and Welfare Regulations, 1992) states that ‘every window or other transparent or translucent surface in a wall or partition…door or gate‘ must be:
a) ‘of safety material or be protected against breakage of the transparent or translucent material; and’
b) ‘appropriately marked or incorporate features so as, in either case, to make it apparent.’
So, what does it mean?
Well, to start, you have two choices. Either your building needs to have safety glass (tempered glass or laminated glass), or your original glass need to be reinforced to protect it from breaking. Beyond that, all that’s left is to ensure your glass is clearly visible.
Who does this affect?
Glass safety legislation applies to building owners, managers and landlords of workplace buildings. Examples of workplace buildings include:
- Office buildings
- Schools
- Hospitals
- Universities
(It is NOT a legal requirement of residential buildings.)
Why is Glass Safety Legislation so important?
Glass safety aims to protect people from serious harm due to broken or shattered glass. And it does so by enforcing preventative measures to minimise the risk of breakage. Failure to follow these safety regulations can result in severe penalties and even legal action. So, it’s really important that your glass is safe and compliant with Regulation 14.
How do you know if your glass meets health and safety standards?
We can personally perform a risk assessment to determine any high-risk areas within your building. We will do so by identifying any potential hazards within your building before assessing the likelihood and severity of potential harm (all whilst following regulation guidelines).
The main factors we consider when performing these assessments are the location of the glass, the amount of traffic in that area and, of course, what activities are performed in said area, as these can all increase the likelihood of breakage.
What if my glass doesn’t meet safety standards?
If we identify any issues during your risk assessment, we will record the necessary information before providing you with the most appropriate solution.
Our favourite (and most popular) solution is safety window film. Safety window films allow you to improve upon your current glazing without the cost or disruption of replacing your original glass. What’s more, we also offer one-way mirrored film to increase your glass visibility whilst providing you with additional privacy.
Make glass safety your priority
Glass safety plays a huge role in protecting your colleagues, students and employees. So, if you want to protect your people, minimise damage and prevent vandalism, we highly recommend checking out our cost-effective safety solutions!
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We at Applied Products offer one of the widest ranges of high-performance architectural window films in the UK…
If you need any help or advice on what types of window films are best for your house, company or office, or if you want us to perform a glass safety risk assessment, don’t hesitate to get in touch; we’d love to help! Applied Products has a large range of specialist window films, so we can help you transform your room into a comfortable and productive space.
Applied Products – [email protected] / 01792 895730
