Three startling glass related incidents took place between June and August of 2009 all in London within a five mile radius and all concerning potential injury and even death caused by broken glass. The internal window of a Chinese restaurant in Basildon inexplicably shattered, covering dozens of diners, including children, with glass. Stunned city workers cheated death when fragments of a pane of glass fell 17 stories narrowly missing those walking in old Broad Street below. a man died after being injured by shop front glass after throwing a woman through the window of a well-known high street store in the West End.
The danger posed by the glass in each of the instances cited above was possibly avoidable had government regulations been followed.
In 1992 Health, Safety and Welfare Regulation 14 came into force, requiring that “every window or other transparent or translucent surface in a wall, partition, door or gate should, where necessary for reasons of health or safety, be of a safety material or be protected against breakage of the transparent or translucent material; and be appropriately marked or incorporate features to make it apparent.” this regulation applies to a wide range of workplaces including offices, shops, schools, hospitals, hotels and places of entertainment. Despite this, reported incidents of glass breakage are on the rise.
Ian Penfold, Chairman for the Applied Window Film Group, Glass and Glazing Federation, explains the scale of the problem: “The use of glass in offices, restaurants and shops is on the increase as architects seek to bring natural environmental factors into the interior of buildings by making the most of natural daylight. this is typically achieved through the use of larger glazed areas in facades and roofs and, in some instances, through entirely glazed facades where the glass is a structural component of the building.”
With the increased use of glass in our environment comes the increased risk of injury to members of the public. most people are aware that falling, flying or otherwise static broken glass can cause extreme injuries. Yet they also think such incidents are rare and are typically caused by vandalism, terrorism or accident.
The consequences of breakage get even more severe where the glass is installed overhead or in public areas such as in high-rise buildings. whatever the cause of breakage, protection from this hazard can be increased by the application of a Safety Window Film and in some cases an edge retention system to the glass, preventing it from shattering in a dangerous manner.
Penfold concluded: “It’s unclear how many shops and offices in our cities have taken steps to comply with Regulation 14, despite the clear guidelines stating what must be done. Business owners and landlords who don’t comply could face significant legal consequences if their employees, customers or even passers-by are injured from broken, falling or flying glass from their properties.”
Safety Window Film is a thin coating of polyester film retrospectively applied to the glass in situ. Films range in thickness from 100 to 300 micron depending on the level of protection required and more pertinently the location of the glazing. The films are usually optically clear but are also available in Solar Control, Tinted and Obscure alternatives.