There are two main types of safety glass (Toughened & Laminated), below is a brief description of both so you can identify which one suits your requirements.
Toughened Glass
Toughened glass is manufactured by subjecting the cut size glass to a treatment involving heating and cooling. A balance of high compressive stresses in the centre of the glass increases its strength, thus making toughened glass 5 times stronger than ordinary glass of the same thickness. However, it can still break under extreme loads or when subject to severe impact. When broken, toughened glass shatters into small, blunt-edges fragments, reducing the risk of personal injury.
Available thickness:
4mm, 5mm, 6mm, 8mm, 10mm, 12mm, 15mm, 19mm
Laminated Glass
Laminated glass is manufactured by combining two or more sheets of float glass with one or more interlayers of PolyVinylButyral (PVB). If the glass is broken, the PVB interlayer ensures that all the broken glass is held in place keeping your building secure. This concept makes laminated glass ideal for doors and shop fronts where security is a necessity.
Available thickness:
4.4mm, 6.4mm, 8.8mm, 10.8mm – Standard Laminated
7.5mm, 9.5mm, 11.5mm – Anti-bandit Laminated (Thicker Interlayer)
Do I Need to Install Safety Glass?
Safety glass is a legal requirement if used in low level glazing or glazing in and around doors. The specific requirements are for any area where any part of the glass is below 800mm from floor level or, in the case of doors (or within 300mm of a door), any area where any part of the glass is below 1500mm from floor level. Any glazing meeting this criteria will need to be safety glass by law.
