Safety Glass Windows

Safety glass breaks in a way that prevents human injuries and property damage.

Safety glass windows.

Laminated safety glass is commonly used for automotive windshields but the safety benefits are applicable to the household too. Glass that is not laminated shows only two reflections from the two surfaces of the glass. A federal law mandates safety glass for areas that have the possibility of impact by a person such as sliding glass doors and low windows in walking areas. Also glass on a perpendicular wall to a door and opposite the swing must be safety tempered as illustrated below.

It also includes glass that is manufactured for strength or fire resistance. Two types of safety glass are heat strengthened and tempered. There are exceptions allowed for decorative glass in windows also along with the addition of a sturdy rail in front of the glass and outboard panes of insulating glass in a high location. While ordinary glass usually shatters into very sharp shards some types of safety glass breaks into small blunt.

Safety glass is glass that is specifically designed to be less likely to break and less prone to inflicting injury when it breaks. None of this should be interpreted to exclude using safety tempered glass for in a location that you decide warrants it. The vinyl interlayer holds the glass together if the glass is broken or impaled.