What is safety glass?
Glass designed to reduce the risk of injury when it breaks. In Australia, the main types are toughened (tempered) and laminated. Both perform much better than ordinary float glass.
Why Safety Glass Matters
- Safety: Ordinary float glass breaks into sharp shards. Safety glass either crumbles into small blunt particles (toughened) or stays adhered to an interlayer (laminated), reducing the risk of serious injury.
- Legal compliance: The National Construction Code (NCC) requires compliance with AS 1288:2021 (selection & installation) and AS/NZS 2208 (safety glazing materials). These standards set out exactly where safety glass must be used — in doors, bathrooms, low-level windows, overhead glazing, and barriers (balustrades).
- Recent updates: The rules for barriers/balustrades were updated in AS 1288:2021. In many cases, laminated safety glass is now required instead of monolithic toughened, especially for installations above 5 m or where post-breakage safety is critical. Always confirm with your glazier that the chosen glass meets the current version of AS 1288.
- Durability: Safety glass is engineered to better withstand human impact, wind pressures, and temperature changes than standard float glass, while still maintaining compliance with safety performance requirements.
Standards Australia – AS 1288:2021 (Glass in buildings)
AGWA – Safety Glass Guide (AS 2208)
Types of Safety Glass
Toughened (Tempered) Glass
- Up to 5× stronger than ordinary glass.
- If broken, shatters into small blunt particles.
- Common in shower screens, doors, and balustrades.
Laminated Glass
- Two or more layers of glass bonded with a plastic interlayer (PVB or EVA).
- If broken, fragments stick to the interlayer, staying in place.
- Blocks more than 99% of UV radiation.
- Often used in doors, shopfronts, overhead glazing, and balustrades.
Heat-Strengthened Glass
- Stronger than float but weaker than full toughened glass.
- Not a safety glass on its own under AS 2208, but can be laminated to form a safety glass.
Where Safety Glass Is Required in Australia
Under AS 1288:2021, safety glass must be installed in:
- Bathrooms & Wet Areas: shower screens, bath enclosures, and mirrors fixed to walls.
- Doors: all glass in doors, including hinged, sliding, and bi-fold.
- Side Panels Adjacent to Doors: glass within 300 mm of a door edge.
- Low-Level Glazing: windows where the lowest edge is within 1 m of the floor.
- Balustrades & Barriers: all glass used as a safety barrier must be Grade A safety glass.
- Overhead & Sloped Glazing: laminated or toughened laminated glass required for skylights and overhead panels.
Victorian Building Authority – AS 1288 changes
Quick Comparison
| Type | Breakage Behaviour | Typical Uses |
|---|---|---|
| Toughened | Shatters into small blunt pieces | Showers, doors, balustrades |
| Laminated | Stays in place, fragments adhere to interlayer | Doors, shopfronts, overhead, balustrades |
| Heat-strengthened | Larger fragments, not safety on its own | Used when laminated with interlayer |
Bottom Line
If glass is in doors, bathrooms, low-level windows, overhead glazing, or balustrades, it must be safety glass that meets AS 2208. Ordinary float glass isn’t acceptable in these locations. Always confirm with your glazier that the product is certified and compliant.