The Rooflight Association has updated its rooflight specification advice to reflect that the first choice for the inner pane of any rooflight needs to be laminated glass to ensure occupant safety, not just when the rooflight is installed higher than 5m above floor level, as current regulations state.
What is laminated glass?
Laminated glass consists of two or more panes bonded together with a plastic interlayer. This interlayer holds the glass fragments together and keeps them in place within the frame on the rare occasion that the inner pane breaks, meaning the glass remains largely intact rather than shattering and dropping into the room below, posing danger to inside occupants, pets and furnishings.
Toughened Failure: Toughened glass breaks into hundreds of small pieces, which can clump together whilst falling, or can spread all over the floor, posing a long-term risk of cuts to young children and pets.
Laminated Failure: Laminated glass cracks but stays stuck to the interlayer, like a car windshield. This reduces the risk of injury from falling shards and maintains a barrier, which is why laminated glass is classed as safety glass.
Changing the Standard
Currently, British Standards only mandate laminated inner panes if the rooflight is more than 5 metres above floor level or located over a swimming pool. The Rooflight Association believes this does not go far enough, they are currently lobbying the Government to update Approved Document K of the Building Regulations to remove the option for monolithic toughened glass to be used for the inner pane of any overhead glazing, irrespective of height or location (except for over restricted spaces that are only accessed for maintenance and where additional safety precautions are in place to mitigate the risk).
