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Toughened and laminated glass are both safety glass when they are classified under BS EN 12600. Ordinary annealed float glass is not. Toughened glass breaks into small pieces that can still cause injury; laminated glass can retain fragments on its interlayer; annealed glass breaks into long shards. Which one you need depends on where the glass is going.
How is each type made and how does it break?
| Type | How it is made | How it breaks | Made to |
|---|---|---|---|
| Toughened | Annealed glass is cut, drilled and edge-finished, then heated close to its softening point and cooled rapidly, which locks the surface in compression | Breaks into small pieces; injury remains possible and the opening can be left unguarded | BS EN 12150 |
| Laminated | Two or more sheets bonded with a plastic interlayer under heat and pressure; the sheets can be annealed or toughened | The interlayer can retain fragments; retention and residual capacity depend on the construction and support | BS EN 14449 |
| Annealed | Ordinary float glass | Breaks into long shards | Not safety glass |
Where is each type used?
Toughened glass is commonly used for shower screens, doors, shelves and table tops where the specified product suits the application.
Laminates are used where fragment retention or other performance is needed. Glass layers, interlayer, support and loads must be specified together. Neither retention after breakage nor weight can be established from the word laminated alone.
What counts as safety glass?
Check the supplied product's impact classification under BS EN 12600 and the requirements for its location. Toughened and laminated describe constructions, not a universal approval for every use. Keep the relevant product evidence with the specification.
Where do the rules ask for safety glass?
Approved Document K (Building Regulations, England) names critical locations, where a person is likely to walk into glass or fall against it. Heights are measured from the finished floor to the lowest part of the pane.
| Where the glass is | Critical zone | Clause |
|---|---|---|
| Glazing in a door | Within 1500 mm of the floor | AD K4, Diagram 5.1 (a) |
| Side panel within 300 mm of either edge of a door | Within 1500 mm of the floor | AD K4, Diagram 5.1 (b) |
| Other glazing in a wall or partition | Within 800 mm of the floor | AD K4, Diagram 5.1 (c) |
| Glass in a barrier or balustrade | Wherever the glass guards a change of level | AD K, sections K2 and K3 |
In a critical location you need safety glass or an exemption. A small pane, no more than 250 mm across its smaller dimension and no more than 0.5 square metres in area, may be annealed glass if it is at least 6 mm thick. Thick annealed glass and glazing behind a permanent screen have limits set in the document. You can read Approved Document K on gov.uk.
A barrier is always safety-critical, for holding people back as well as for impact, and the barrier itself is designed to BS 6180. Our balustrades guide covers this.
What about shower and bath screens?
Glass in a bathroom is judged by its position like any other glazing, and a shower door is a door. Shower enclosures also have their own product standard, BS EN 14428, and our safety checker treats a shower screen as needing safety glass wherever it is.
Every piece of bath and shower glass we make is toughened, with polished edges. You cannot order it any other way in our configurator. Our glass splashbacks and table tops are always toughened too. Mirrors are not toughened, and the shelf configurator does not offer toughening.
Can toughened glass be cut after it is made?
No. Toughening locks the surface in compression, so any cut, hole, notch or edge work must be finished before the glass goes into the furnace. Only some annealed laminates can be processed by a specialist. A laminate containing toughened layers cannot be cut or drilled afterwards; confirm the exact build-up first.
How do I check my own position?
Use our glass safety checker. It applies the rules above to your answers and names the rule it used. It is guidance, not building-control sign-off: wind load, barrier loading, overhead and structural glazing need a professional check. Confirm with your building inspector before you order.
Confirm the project requirements with the relevant specialist and follow the product instructions.
A replacement must match the required construction
Identify the original glass construction and supports before ordering a replacement. A photograph of fragments is not a specification. Keep product evidence and preparation drawings together; use where the rules ask for safety glass to identify what needs checking for the new pane.
Where to go next
Check your position with the glass safety checker.
Questions we get asked
Is toughened glass the same as safety glass?
Toughened glass is one kind of safety glass. Toughened glass made to BS EN 12150 and laminated glass made to BS EN 14449 both count as safety glass once classified under BS EN 12600.
Is your shower glass toughened?
Yes. Every piece of bath and shower glass we make is toughened, with polished edges. See our guide to shower screens and enclosures.
Which glass for a balustrade?
Laminated toughened glass is the usual specification, and the barrier is designed to BS 6180. Ask us for the panel specification rather than guessing a thickness; see our balustrades guide.
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