More glass issues

[Inspector Gadget]

There's somethin' in the water in these here parts.

Found this last week: European safety glass in a door. Not permitted.

I've done some poking around, including calling a fellow inspector who is on the NRC committee for fenestration and doors, who in turn guided me to a top national expert.

The Euro standard 12600 is not cross-compatible with CGSB 12.1-M (the way ANSI Z97.1 is), so the client is left with removal, or an alternative solutions proposal.

 

[ICE]

Did the expert state that the European safety glass is not tempered glass? Or is the crux of the matter that the two standards have not been approved for reciprocity? And if the rub is that the two standards have not been approved for reciprocity, is that because nobody has attempted to gain the approvals? I wonder if USA legal glazing is approved for use in Europe?

 

[Inspector Gadget]

Did the expert state that the European safety glass is not tempered glass? Or is the crux of the matter that the two standards have not been approved for reciprocity? And if the rub is that the two standards have not been approved for reciprocity, is that because nobody has attempted to gain the approvals? I wonder if USA legal glazing is approved for use in Europe?

The expert at fenetration Canada, basically said "Nope, no dice."

The requirement under Code for Canada is for glass in doors/guards to be tempered OR laminated safety glass.



ICE, I'd agree with you: delving into this, because I am a geek, there is actually a research paper done by some professor who raises concerns about the size of the particles that the European tests allow - shards 10cm long. That's a little transparent dagger, waiting for a victim.

I don't know if USA-legal glazing is allowed in Europe, but USA-legal safety glazing that meets ANSI z97.1 is allowed in Canada, because we aligned our standard with the ANSI standard, and our standard makes a specific claim of equivalence.



I would suggest that this might allow Canadian safety glass to be used south of the border.

 

[ICE]

shards 10cm long

That's four inches. Hardly worth the effort.

As an aside, the safety glass here in the USA breaks up in much smaller pieces and they are not shards but they will still shred flesh.

 

[mark handler]

2022 CA RESIDENTIAL CODE
Z97.1—2014:
Safety Glazing Materials Used in Buildings—Safety Performance Specifications and Methods of Test