Where is safety glass required?

Safety glass is not optional in the places that matter, but knowing exactly where the rules bite is the tricky part. The checker below shows you where the rules apply in a home, office, apartment or shopfront, why, and what to specify. Tap any pane to see the answer.

The places safety glass is required

In a typical building, safety glass is required in a handful of predictable spots. In short: glass in a door within 1500mm of the floor, a side panel within 300mm of a door and below 1500mm, any low-level glazing below 800mm from the floor, and glass balustrades. Large areas of clear glass also need manifestation, which is eye-level markings between 600 and 1500mm. The 800mm rule is the one people forget most, so it is worth a second look on any low window or full-height glazing.

What counts as safety glass?

Safety glass means glass that has been tested to break safely under impact, to BS EN 12600. In practice that is either toughened glass, which crumbles into small blunt pieces, or laminated glass, which holds together on an interlayer when it breaks.

Both are valid. Which one you choose depends on the job: toughened is the everyday workhorse, while laminated is preferred where the glass also has to hold a line, like a balustrade. If you want the detail on impact classes and how they are tested, our guide to glass impact ratings and safety standards covers it.

The traps people miss

Side panels next to doors are a critical location, because people reach for handles and stumble into the glass. Anything within 300mm of the door edge and below 1500mm needs to be safety glass.

Balustrades are not just an impact question. A balustrade guarding a drop has to meet separate barrier and loading rules on top of being safety glass, which is why laminated is usually specified. Our pages on building regs for glass balustrades and Juliet balcony regulations explain how those rules stack up.

Large areas of clear glass, like a full-height screen or a glazed entrance, also need manifestation. That is permanent markings at eye level, between 600 and 1500mm, so people can see the glass and do not walk into it. There is more in our guide to safety markings and manifestation on glass.

Building in Scotland?

The rules above follow Approved Document K, which applies in England. Scotland works to its own building standards, and the detail differs. If your project is north of the border, start with our simple guide to Scottish building regulations for safety glass.