Toughened and laminated glass are both safety glass when they are classified under BS EN 12600. Ordinary annealed float glass is not. Toughened glass crumbles into small, blunt pieces when it breaks; laminated glass cracks but stays in one piece 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 | Crumbles into small, blunt pieces across the whole pane, so the pane is gone once it breaks | BS EN 12150 |
| Laminated | Two or more sheets bonded with a plastic interlayer under heat and pressure; the sheets can be annealed or toughened | Cracks in a spider pattern, but the interlayer holds the pieces together and the pane stays in the frame | BS EN 14449 |
| Annealed | Ordinary float glass | Breaks into long shards | Not safety glass |
Where is each type used?
Toughened glass is the usual choice for doors and side panels, low-level windows, shower and bath screens, splashbacks behind a hob, table tops and shelves.
Laminated glass is chosen where the glass must stay in place after breaking: overhead and sloped glazing, glass floors and stairs, barriers and balustrades (as laminated toughened), and anywhere security or noise matters. It is heavier and thicker than toughened for the same pane.
What counts as safety glass?
Safety glass is glass tested and classified under BS EN 12600 (formerly BS 6206). Its pendulum impact test grades a pane 1, 2 or 3 by the drop height it survives, and adds a letter for how it breaks: B for the laminated pattern and C for the toughened pattern. The older BS 6206 classes A, B and C are still quoted on older glass and accepted alongside. The class a pane needs depends on its size; see the document.
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?
A shower or bath screen is not an Approved Document K location. Shower enclosures are covered by BS EN 14428, and every compliant screen is toughened or laminated safety glass.
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 splashbacks and table tops are always toughened too, and every glass shelf we cut is toughened unless you ask otherwise.
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. Laminated glass can be cut and drilled after manufacture, within limits.
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.
This is general guidance. For your project, follow the regulations and manufacturer instructions that apply, and ask your building control body, engineer or Gas Safe engineer where needed.
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.