How to clean up broken glass safely

Whether at home or work, your priority when cleaning up broken glass is to keep yourself and others safe. Handled incorrectly, broken glass can cause cuts, lacerations and puncture wounds.

There are different ways of doing it. All safe methods have one thing in common. They remove any contact between the broken glass and your skin, whether through personal protective equipment (PPE), tools or a combination of the two. This applies whether you're cleaning up large shards, tiny pieces or anything in between.

Dos

1. Do secure the area so other people avoid injury.
   
   
2. Do wear appropriate shoes and protective gloves. Gloves should be made from a heavy material. Nitrile, vinyl and latex gloves aren't up to the task.
   
   
3. Do use tools. This could be a dustpan and broom, tongs, tweezers or forceps. You can also use heavy paper or light cardboard to scoop up fragments.
   
   
4. Do put broken glass into a sturdy container like a plastic bucket or cardboard box. This should be labelled "broken glass" before you dispose of it.
   
   
5. Do put broken glass in the general waste bin or a skip.
   
   
6. Do contact the council or recycling centre if you're dealing with a large quantity of broken glass.
   
   
7. Do clean up tiny shards using a wet paper towel, an absorbent pad or adhesive tape.
   
   
8. Do clean your shoes before leaving the clean-up area. Failure to do this can mean spreading fragments of broken glass to other parts of the building.
   
   
9. Do use a vacuum cleaner for small pieces of broken glass.

Don'ts

1. Don't clean up glass barefoot or bare-handed.
   
   
2. Don't kneel. Stand and bend at the waist or sit on a low stool instead.
   
   
3. Don't put broken glass in your recycling bin.
   
   
4. Don't forget to check the room for remnants of glass. Shattered glass can travel farther than you might expect. This may involve moving furniture around.
   
   
5. Don't use a broom unless you have no choice. Glass fragments can get caught in the bristles and are hard to dislodge.
   
   
6. Don't ignore any waste disposal guidelines in your office or company.

Other methods for safely cleaning up broken glass

If you're dealing with a small amount of broken glass, you can use a piece of glass or half a potato. Stick your tool against the shards and put them straight into a container.

You can also wrap duct tape around your hand with the sticky side facing outwards. This can be used to pick up shards.

For larger amounts of broken glass, you should use tools to stay safe. 

Founded in 1993, ToughGlaze has grown to become one of the UK's leading commercial glass suppliers. For more tips and guides, visit our blog.