Safety Glass

Nelson Glass Co Ltd rates injury prevention as its number one priority when advising clients on glass solutions. It is no use having the best looking glass if safety is compromised.

Using the right glass for the right application enables almost anything to be achieved, using glass as a building medium. There are two main types of safety glass:

Laminated glass is a safety glass made by a heat and pressure process that laminates two or more sheets of glass with a flexible inter-layer between them. Generally this inter-layer is .38 mm thick, although for auto or extra strength use, a double layer of .76 mm is used. The safety aspects of this glass result from the inter-layer which prevents the glass disintegrating if broken and also acts as a preventative barrier against penetration. By using a tinted inter-layer, laminated glass can be used to reduce heat transmission. The plastic properties of the inter-layer act with a sound dampening effect and can provide sound control equivalent to that of ordinary glass of twice the thickness.

Toughened glass is ordinary glass which has been converted into a safety glass by a process of heating, followed by rapid cooling. This process creates a glass which is five times stronger than its original state. The safety aspects of toughened glass are that it can take a far greater impact before fracturing. Also if the pane does break, it shatters into small granules which are unlikely to cause serious injury.

If you have any doubt or concerns about where and when to use safety glass give us a call, your safety is paramount to Nelson Glass.