Window’s bring natural light and fresh air into our homes as well as offering views that connect the inside to the outdoors.
However, window related accidents and security can be a major source of concern.
Especially for small children which means that putting safety glass in your home can be very important
Fortunately, there are a number of preventative measures you can take to improve the safety risks of your home.
By arming yourself with the right knowledge, you can have greater peace of mind for the safety of you and your family.
Safety glass Areas of a home that are prone to accidents are required to be fitted with what’s known as Grade A safety glass.
The use of safety glass reduces the risk of injury as it is tougher to break and won’t fracture into dangerous shards if broken.
In recent years the areas of your home where safety glass is required has increased,
while the allowances for ordinary glass areas has decreased.
Putting safety glass in your home – Areas where it should be installed
As a general guide you must use safety glass in:
- all glass doors
- bathrooms (for all areas up to 2 metres high)
- door side panels (if less than 300mm away from the door and positioned 1.2 meters or less above the floor)
- around stairs (for a distance of 1 meter from either side of the stairs and 2 meters from the bottom of the stairs)
- areas that can be mistaken for openings (e.g. full height glass)
- low level glass (if larger than 1.2 metres – areas under 1.2 metres require a minimum of 5mm thick glass.
- Throughout your home if you are running a childcare business.
While these are the minimum areas that require safety glass you may want to consider using it in additional spaces, especially where children are active.
There are two types of safety glass available – toughened and laminated glass.
Alternatively, glass safety film can be applied to existing windows and glass areas.
While laminated glass, toughened glass and window film can all be used to meet Australian building regulations
It is worth selecting the most appropriate one to meet your needs
If you would like to read more information regarding the differences between toughened and laminated glass
Click on the link below
