Common causes of glass breakages on site, and how to stop them
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Concerned about glass breakages on site? Learn about some of the most common causes – and what you can do to prevent them.
Accidents will happen: it's a saying for a reason. Even in our age of advanced health and safety regulations, things go wrong on construction sites, whether through human error or an act of nature.
It's not unusual, for instance, for glass to break. And it stands to reason: with so many moving parts – both human and mechanical – there are plenty of opportunities for things to go wrong.
You might read this and conclude that what will be, will be. But you'd be wrong to. That's because most glass breakages on site happen for the same handful of reasons.
This predictability means that a site manager can put procedures and policies in place to keep glass breakages to a minimum.
This is good for business for two reasons. First, it significantly reduces the possibility of a team member getting injured. And secondly, it significantly reduces the need to pay for replacement materials.
Here, then, are seven common causes of glass breakages on site – and how to stop them from happening.
1. Improper handling
The problem: glass breaks because it's handled without due care and without following best practices.
There are two sides to this. One is the training required to make sure team members know how to handle glass properly. The other is the adequate provision of lifting equipment and personal protective equipment (PPE).
The solution
On site, have procedures in place to ensure glass is handled and installed by team members following best practices. This includes using the right lifting equipment and wearing appropriate PPE.
For a more detailed exploration of this topic, read our best-practice guide to handling glass safely.
2. Accidental impact
The problem: glass breaks because of accidental impact from machinery, tools or building materials.
You don't need us to tell you there's a lot going on in your standard construction site. The sheer amount of machinery, tools and building materials being moved around can create an obstacle course.
Of course, training will play its part in reducing these accidental impacts. If team members are confident in their handling of machinery, they're far less likely to oversee (or cause) an accidental breakage.
The solution
Accidental impacts can be significantly reduced by shielding glass with protective film, plywood or other materials. This requires some forward thinking – but it's forward thinking that will pay off in the long run.
3. Manufacturing byproducts
The problem: glass breakages caused by nickel sulfide inclusions and other byproducts of manufacturing.
Sometimes, toughened glass spontaneously breaks. This is often because of the presence of nickel sulfide inclusions – a byproduct of the manufacturing process. The glass needs clearing up and replacing, wasting time and money on site.
The solution
Nickel sulfide inclusions can't be eliminated entirely. However, they can be significantly reduced through a process called "heat soak testing". This involves putting sheets of toughened glass under thermal stress to see if they break.
Heat soak testing won't entirely remove the possibility of nickel sulfide inclusions. But if you want to reduce the risk, work with a glass processor or supplier that offers heat soak testing as a service.
Learn more about nickel sulfide inclusions in toughened glass.
4. Environmental stresses
The problem: glass breakages caused by changes in the environment.
Glass is vulnerable to sudden or significant changes in the environment. These include rapid changes in temperature (thermal stress), poor installation, heavy weather and even vibrations caused by nearby machinery.
Most of the time, these environmental stresses aren't sufficient to cause a glass breakage. But it can happen – and people often wonder whether there is anything they can do to prevent it.
The solution
There are two solutions to this problem. One involves the way the glass is handled. The other is the glass itself.
Glass should be protected from nearby stresses, whether heavy weather or heavy machinery. This is partly a case of installing temporary barriers such as tarps or screens. And it's partly a case of ensuring the glass is competently installed.
None of this amounts to much, however, if the glass itself isn't the best it can be. Choosing low-quality materials will only amplify the chances of environmental stresses leading to breakages on site.
5. Damage to the edge
The problem: glass breakages caused by edge weakness.
During the transportation and handling of glass, the edge can become damaged. This creates a structural weakness which can lead to a breakage further down the line.
The solution
Glass must be transported carefully. This is partly a case of ensuring the right equipment is used to load it in and hold it in place. It's partly a case of knowing how to stack and arrange it. And it's partly a case of handling it correctly when loading and unloading.
There's more to it than that, of course. For the fine details, check out our guide to how glass is transported.
6. Using annealed glass
The problem: annealed glass is weak compared to safety glass.
When most people think of a pane of glass, they're probably thinking of annealed glass. This is "standard" glass – the kind that breaks into large jagged shards. It breaks more easily than safety glass, and its use on site can increase the likelihood of breakages.
The solution
Instead of annealed glass, use safety glass (toughened or laminated glass) to ensure safety and reduce the chance of breakages.
This is especially important in overhead applications such as skylights and balustrades. However, it can make a big difference to the safety profile of a site in all applications.
7. Using poor-quality materials
The problem: poor-quality materials break more easily than high-quality materials.
What more can we say? Poor-quality glass is inherently more prone to breakage than high-quality glass.
The solution
Always work with the best glass products, whether annealed, toughened, laminated or of another variety.
ToughGlaze is a trusted UK glass processor founded in 1990. We offer a huge range of glass products, all customisable and processed in line with relevant industry standards. For more tips and guides, follow our blog.
