Our site technicians are trained to CITB (Construction Industry Training Board) Standards and where applicable IPAF (Industrial Powered Access Federation), PASMA (Prefabricated Access Suppliers and Manufacturers Association), IRATA (Industrial Rope Access Trade Association).
SAFETY MATERIALS
Safety
Safety is a very important issue, nowhere more so than within the Glazing Industry. Safety is everyone's responsibility. A to Z Glazing have the safety of all Glaziers tested by an out source to a compliance level managed under the Construction Skills Certification Scheme.
We have many Policies in place to promote safe working and safety awareness, including the use of generic and non-generic Risk Assessments and Method Statements, please contact us for policy information.
COSHH data sheets and reports are available on all our products.
We actively promote the use of 'safe products' at all levels, well beyond the standard requirements (subject to certain limitations).
Toughened glass has a better impact resistance than annealed when impacted on the flat face and should break in a controlled way into small safe fragments. It cannot be cut, drilled etc. once made.
Laminated glass is two or more panes of glass bonded together with a PVB interlayer to form one solid unit, if broken the unit as a whole should remain stable and intact to varying degrees depending on the thickness and installation therefore offering better security protection.
Toughened laminate combines the characteristics of both the above - added strength plus security.
There are many regulations covering safety within the Glazing Industry a few are shown below:-
Critical Location Glazing (BS 6262 Part 4)
The shaded areas denote the need for safety glazing. Full details of Regulation 14 can be supplied on request.
Where only part of a glazing unit falls within a 'critical location' the whole of that unit must comply with BS 6206. This applies to Nos. 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 & 11.
Annealed Glass Thickness / Dimensions Limits
Glazing in small panes: The use of annealed (non-safety) glass is permitted in small panes. These panes should have a maximum width of 250mm and an area not exceeding 0.5m2 when measured between the glazing beads (refer to Diagram 3 below). Annealed glass in a small pane should not be less than 6mm thick except in traditional leaded or copper lights where 4mm glass can be used if fire resistance is not required.
Child Safety
Glass has tremendous possibilities enhancing the work and home environment. However, there are approximately 400 injuries to children under the age of 14 each year.
Unfortunately approximately 10 children die each year as a result of falling from a height, for instance from an open window. Ensure windows are securely locked and when open are restricted to a maximum clear opening of no more than 100mm (10cm or approximately 4").
Collisions resulting in cuts
Many accidents are down to an adult or child running into or impacting low level glazing. Occasionally this is simply because they never saw the glass. Ordinary glass can be very dangerous when broken. New Buildings have to meet regulations to safeguard against this type of incident. If you have an older property ask for a glazing company to carry out a Risk Assessment.
Consider replacing old glass with safety glass as mentioned earlier or have a window film applied to meet safety standards.
If your glass is already a safety product but could be impacted due to not being apparent/visible consider applying manifestation as set out in document M of the Building Regulations.
When buying glass furniture, for instance tables or cabinets, look for the approved markings BS 7376 and BS 7449, safety glazing to windows to conform to BS 6262 part 4.
