What is safety glass?

Safety glass is tempered glass (also referred to as “toughened” or “fully tempered” glass) and/or laminated glass that meets the requirements for ANSI Z97.1 and the federal safety standard CPSC 16 CFR Part 1201 (Consumer Product Safety Commission Safety Standard for Architectural Glazing Materials).

Glass is a breakable material. If it breaks into sharp pieces, or shards, it can injure people and pets. Safety glass improves occupant safety and well-being by significantly reducing this risk. In the case of tempered glass, if broken, it exhibits a characteristic “dice” break pattern of many small pieces that minimize the risk of injury. In the case of laminated glass, if broken, it remains in place, held together by the plastic or resin interlayer at its core.

Safety glass is typically identifiable through a permanent marking (a safety seal), generally located in one of the corners of the glass piece. This marking cannot be removed without damaging or breaking the glass.

The US standards for testing and classifying safety glazing materials are:

• ANSI Z97.1 (American National Standards Institute’s Standard for Safety Glazing Materials Used in Buildings)
• CPSC 16CFR, Part 1201 (Consumer Product Safety Commission Safety Standard for Architectural Glazing Materials)