Grade A safety glass

There are three types of Grade A safety glass products available, toughened, laminated and vinyl backed glass. Grade A is a classification specified by Australian Standards for its code, AS1288-2006 Glass in Buildings, which applies to glazing in high risk areas of buildings likely to be subject to human impact. A sliding scale is used to determine which thickness is required for the overall size of each panel. The following figures outline the limitations of each type of glass.

Toughened glass

Thickness                                  Maximum area (Square metres)

3mm                                                     1.0
4mm                                                     2.2
5mm                                                     3.0
6mm                                                     4.0
8mm                                                     6.0
10mm                                                   8.0
12mm                                                   10.0

Laminated glass

Thickness                                  Maximum area (Square metres)

5.38mm                                                2.2
6.38mm                                                3.0
8.38mm                                                5.0
10.38mm                                              7.0
12.38mm                                              9.0

Vinyl backed glass

Thickness                                  Maximum area (Square metres)

4mm                                                     3.0
5mm                                                     3.5
6mm                                                     4.0

Grade B safety glass

Wired reinforced is the only type of glass to fall into this category. A wire mesh is embedded into the glass during manufacture that assists in holding the glass together in the event of breakage. Although considered a safety glass, it’s lesser Grade B classification is most likely due to the increased chance of large sharp edges being exposed after breakage.