PF106 Glass safety

Any windows or other areas of glass accessible to children are either:

• made of safety glass or

• covered by an adhesive film designed to hold the glass in place in the event of it being broken or

• effectively guarded by barriers which prevent a child striking or falling against the glass.

How to show you are complying

Safety glass, such as laminated or toughened glass, is much stronger than standard glass. If it breaks, it doesn’t shatter into sharp, jagged pieces, significantly reducing the risk of injury.

If your service is in a new building, you are already likely to meet this requirement. This is because the Building Act requires the use of safety glass in windows and doors located in high-risk areas of new buildings.

To check if your premises has safety glass, look for a safety standard logo etched in the corner of the glass. If you can’t see a safety standard logo, ask a qualified glazier to inspect the glass and provide you written confirmation.

Identifying glass that needs protection

When assessing which glass areas in your service are accessible to children, consider:

• height from the floor, glass below 80cm is typically within reach of young children

• nearby furniture or climbable objects, these can make higher glass reachable.

Safety measures for existing buildings

If your service is located in an existing building, children can be protected by:

• installing barriers to prevent children from falling against glass

• using safety glass in windows or doors children can reach

• applying safety film to non-safety-glazed windows, doors, and low mirrors

• applying safety film to wired glass panels, which can still pose a risk.

All these solutions will show you are meeting the criterion requirements.