For overhead glazing and glazing at height, containment in the event of breakage or failure is vital!

Glass used overhead or at height may present a risk to people if it breaks and falls.
Filmtek has a tried and test solution to the problem of ensuring the containment of broken glass in the event of unpredictable spontaneous glass failure or breakage.

Overhead glass roof panels and roof-lights are extremely popular in buildings. Chosen to provide increased light transmission into the building and to create a light and airy environment within which to work and relax. However, if it were to break or fracture, it could potentially fall dangerously from its glazing system without warning!

All overhead glazing must obviously be safety glass, with toughened glass often specified as it is up to five times stronger than annealed glass of the same thickness and therefore considered to be safer, as if it were to break, it shatters into small fragments, which is deemed to minimise the risk of injury. However, when in an overhead position, horizontal, sloping or vertical with the potential to fall from height, the ‘risk of injury’ situation takes on a whole new meaning!

Even vertical glazing ‘at height’ must be considered as ‘overhead glazing’ in terms of risk from breakage and failure and falling, especially large panes with safety issues concerning the safety of people below who may be affected if the glass were to break and fall or for horizontal glazing, if objects were to fall through the glass should be taken into account.

Increased overhead glazing safety is therefore a priority, especially for all building, health and safety and facilities management teams, where duty of care and the responsibility of safety for employees, visitors and members of the public are of paramount important with safety issues concerning the people below.

Filmtek has an immediately effective solution to ensure glass containment if broken

Filmtek’s high-tensile strength Glass Containment Safety/Security film, applied to the internal surface of glazing in conjunction with anchoring from the Filmtek range of Anchoring Solutions, will upgrade your existing glazing and provide the following:

• Assurance that the glass, even though broken, will remain attached to the aggressive bonding layer of the film.
• Assurance that both the high-tensile strength film and the anchoring combined will absorb and flex with the impact of the unexpected break without degradation.
• Assurance that the film and anchor system will hold the weight of the broken glass, in place, allowing for the progression of safe removal and replacement.
• Assurance that your responsibilities and duty of care are met with all potential safety issues acted upon.

The CWCT (Centre for Window and Cladding Technology) and the CIRIA (Construction Industry Research and Information Association) define overhead glazing as:

Glazing that has the potential to fall on breakage, causing safety and other related concerns, including:

• • All types of façade (vertical and sloping)
  • Glass roofs and canopies
  • Glass in barriers protecting against a fall from

Filmtek has been called upon to solve the public health and safety issue and problem of spontaneous glass failure for many clients and has done so utilising high-tensile strength glass containment film and anchoring relating to various types of glass and glazing systems that include:

Horizontal Framed Toughened Glass
Tested in accordance with the Glass and Glazing Federation 5.18.5 Recommendations for Adhesive Backed Polymeric Film Applied to Glass in the Overhead Position for Containment of Glass in the Event of Failure: Test Method.

Tested with FT800 200 micron clear high-tensile strength film applied to the underside surface of glazing panel with the addition of the Filmtek rigid anchoring profile on 4 x sides. Tested to confirm the containment of glass in the overhead position in the event of glass failure: Test Method for self-load, uniform load and weather tightness.

Rooflight Framed Glass
Tested to CWCT TN42 soft body impact, hard body impact and static load test.
Tested with FT700 175 micron clear security film and the Filmtek rigid angled anchoring profile bonded to the frame and the film.

Horizontal flat and Sloping Glass
Tested with 200 micron clear high-tensile strength film and framed edge-retention anchoring profile.

Other client and project specific tests carried out to prove the effectiveness of film and anchoring prior to commencement of works have included:

Vertical bolted lift shaft glazing panels 1990mm x 2943mm, 19mm toughened glass supported on 4 x ‘planar’ bolted anchor points. (Weight of the glass panel iro 278kgs).
Tested with Filmtek’s Bolted Anchoring System and FT800 200 micron film applied to the internal surface of the lite and FT400 100 micron film applied to the external surface with splice joints required on both the outer and the inner film due to limitations imposed by the available manufacture width of film and the splices were offset to avoid a single line of potential weakness in the film.

Vertical bolted glass 3000mm x 1984mm, 10mm toughened glass ‘free-standing’ (i.e. no silicone) bolted at 4 x corner points. (Weight of the glass panel iro 150kgs).
Tested with the addition of Filmtek’s Bolted Anchoring system of FT800 200 micron Glass Containment film applied to the internal surface, which, due to the size of the glass panel, was applied with a butt joint and overlay reinforcing strip.

Vertical bolted glass 1426 x 2056, 10mm monolithic toughened glass bolted by 4 x fixing points. (Weight of glass panel iro 74kgs).
Tested with the addition of Filmtek’s Bolted Anchoring system and FT800 Glass Clntainment film applied to the internal surface.

All test reports and accompanying video footage are available upon request.

Large areas of overhead glazing and glass roof-lights within a building can also increase solar gain and heat!
This is another problem that can be immediately resolved with the installation of Solar Control window film from Filmtek as a retrofit to your existing glazing to reduce the risk of overheating, reduce your energy use in cooling and also potentially increase your overhead glazing safety with a film from our combined safety/solar range.

Window film when combined with the expertise and technical knowledge of Filmtek will immediately resolve any concerns or problems you may have. So just contact us today and we will be glad to help.

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