Commercial Safety

 

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Safety Glass is a term that describes two types of glass:  tempered glass and laminated glass.

All glazing should follow strict guidelines taking every precaution to protect an innocent consumer. Your safety and the safety of your family, guests and visitors is a responsibility that we take very seriously.  We will only replace glass in conformance with both the federal statute and local building codes.  For reasons of public safety and because our Stewart Glass and Mirror, Inc rigidly adheres to the law, we may be forced to refuse jobs when asked to use materials that do not conform to safety standards. 

Know what you are paying for and make sure your building is not just an accident waiting to happen.  Following are a few tips for understanding GLASS IS NOT JUST GLASS.

     Laminated Safety Glass - Two pieces of double strength glass (1/8") sandwiched together with a plastic laminate.  Laminated, unlike tempered glass, can be cut.  This is a soft glass and breaks easily.  Characteristics of this glass is it spider webs and stays in place when broken.  REQUIRED to have an ANSI label  in one of the four corners for safety identification purposes.
       Tempered Safety Glass - Heat treated glass to increase its strength and cause a unique fracture pattern.  Characteristics of this glass is it fractures into very small fragments, which reduces the likelihood of injury. Tempered glass cannot be altered in size.   REQUIRED to have a ANSI label in one of the four corners for safety identification purposes.
       Anneal  Plate Glass - Characteristics of this    glass when broken is it breaks in large shards of glass and may NOT be used where safety glass is  required by Local and Federal Glazing Codes.

FEDERAL & STATE REQUIREMENTS

(Inserts taken from Standard Building Code (SBCCI), 1994 Edition.  It is not intended to be all inclusive. The SBCCI refers to other specifications that also applies to various applications including, but not limited to wind, snow, dead loads and sloped glazing.  Refer to Chapter 27 of the SBCCI for the complete code requirements for safety glazing.)

Hazardous Locations

Ingress and egress doors except jalousies

Fixed and sliding panels of sliding (patio) door and swinging doors

Storm doors

Unframed swinging doors

Doors and enclosures for hot tubs, whirlpools, saunas, steam rooms, bathtubs and showers.

Fixed of operable panel adjacent a door 

Railings, baluster panels and nonstructural in-fill panels

1.    Glazing enclosures for hot tubs, whirlpools, saunas, steam rooms, bathtubs and showers.  Glazing in any portion of a building wall enclosing these compartments where the bottom exposed edge of the glazing is less than 60 inches above a standing surface and drain outlet.

2.    Glazing in fixed or operable panels adjacent to a door where the nearest exposed edge of the glazing is within a 24 inch arc of either vertical edge of the door in a closed position and where the bottom exposed edge of the glazing is less than 60 inches above the floor or walking surface.

3.    Glazing in an individual fixed or operable panel that meets the following conditions:

Exposed area of an individual pane greater than 9 square feet.
Exposed bottom edge less than 18 inches above the floor.
Exposed top edge greater than 36 inches above the floor.
One or more walking surfaces within 36 inches horizontally of the plane of the glazing.

4.    All glazing in railings regardless of are or height above a walking surface including structural baluster panels and nonstructural in-fill panels.

5.    Glazing in walls and fences enclosing indoor and outdoor swimming pools where the bottom edge of the glazing is 1) less than 60 inches above the walking surface on the pool side and 2) within 36 inches horizontally of the walking surface on the pool side.  This shall apply to single glazing and all panes in multiple glazing.

Stewart Glass and Mirror, Inc

415 West Gibson  Jasper, Texas

Email Us:  stewartglass@jas.net

Call:  409-384-4614