Toughened Glass - British & European Standards

There are three sets of regulations which apply to the use of glass in buildings.

1)  Regulation  14  - The Workplace Health, Safety and Welfare Approved Code of Practice

 

2)  BS 6262: 'Code of practice for glazing for buildings'. Part 4: 1994 'Safety related to human impact'

 

3)  Document M of the Building Regulations, covering access to and the use of commercial buildings.

 

Introduction

 

Since 1996, Regulation 14 of the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992 has made the requirement for safety glazing in accordance with BS 6262 mandatory and retrospective.

 

British Standard BS 6262: Part 4: 2005 and Section N1 of Approved Document N (Glazing –safety in relation to impact, opening and cleaning) of the Building Regulations requires that all glazing fitted in ‘critical locations’ in a building should either: -

 

 • Break safely, if it breaks

 

• Be robust or in small panes

 

Requirement for safety glazing  means any glass, plastics or safety films fitted in ‘critical locations’ must comply with BS 6206: 1981. Diagram 1 below details ‘critical locations’ in internal and external walls.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The glass supplied  for these applications must conform to

 

Toughened Glass  BS EN 12600 : 2002  (previously BS 6206)

 

Glass in building. Thermally toughened soda lime silicate safety glass

 

Impact Tested – BS EN 12600 : 2002

 

(Glass in building. Pendulum test. Impact test method and classification for flat glass)

 

In addition to this

 

The Workplace Health, Safety and Welfare Approved Code of Practice Regulation 14 and Building Regulation BS6262 make it a legal requirement for all glazing to be impact safe (see above) and clearly marked (see below)

 

These regulations are designed as a health and safety concern to try and prevent serious injuries to anyone accidentally colliding with glazing, causing concussion or breaking the glass causing lacerations. Regulation 14 goes on to lay down a range of details of the legal requirements of impact resistance (see above) and the need for safety manifestations (see below)

 

1. Every window or glazed area in a wall, glass partitioning, glass door or gate shall be of safety material or be protected against breakage, i.e. it should not break on impact or should break safely.

 

2. Safety glazing material must meet BS 6206 Class B in doors and side panels over 900mm wide, and Class C in those less than 900mm wide. Low level glazing must meet a minimum of BS 6206 Class C.

 

3. This entails the use of laminated, toughened or safety-wired glass, or plastic glazing sheet that meet BS 6206, or glass with plastic film applied so that the pane of glass with the film meets BS 6206 Class A or B.

 

Document M of the Building Regulations,  covering access to and the use of commercial  buildings, states that manifestation should be at least 50mm wide and positioned at two levels.

 

The lower level should be between 850mm and 1000mm from finished floor level and  the higher between 1400mm and 1600mm. These stipulations are designed for disabled and able-bodied people’s safety in the work place.

 

You can buy this manifestation in several forms / patterns on a self adhesive roll and it just sticks on. Or you have some printed with a company graphic or your own design. It depends on your budget and how you want it to look.