What anti-injury glasses are

Anti-injury glasses have the important function of preventing splinters from detaching from the glass sheet or that a human body can pass through the glass. Anti-injury glasses are laminated glass and tempered glass.

The protection consists of a structure that provides either a heat treatment that determines its structure or the combination of glass and plastic materials, in which the latter retain the former in a compact formation even in the event of breakage.

We can simplify by saying that the two different materials create layers. The greater their number, the greater the protection provided by the glass.

Anti-injury glasses are used on large windows or on balconies, terraces, parapets, under windows, glass stairs, elevators, freight elevators and all situations in which the glass is at eye level or where there is a risk of falling into the void in case of breakage.

In addition to private homes, anti-injury glass is always present in public places such as sports centers, schools, hospitals, shopping centers, bus stops, railway shelters and any structure for public use.

What the legislation says

Anti-injury glass responds to a legislation that defines its characteristics. As we have clarified, anti-injury glass must be used wherever there is a risk to the safety of people. In terms of law, anti-injury glass differs from the anti-fall glass.

Anti-injury glass is used for the construction of glass partitions, showcases, glass furniture and obviously for windows.

The legal reference for those who design, produce and install this type of glass is the UNI 7697 standard, which defines:

• field of application;
• purpose;
• requirements.

The legislation guides us by providing the criteria for choosing the glass to be used for interiors and exteriors. They ensure the maximum balance between performance such as energy efficiency, functionality, weight and the requirements that guarantee the safety of those who use them or those who live in the rooms in which they are installed.

UNI EN 12150-1 legislation is the reference document for tempered glass, which is a heat-treated lime-silicate glass. Through a controlled process of heating (600-650 ° C) and sudden cooling, a compressive stress is induced on the surface. This confers resistance to the glass, making it stable to mechanical and thermal stress. The result is its ability to crumble in case of breakage, fragmenting into small harmless fragments, which allow us to define it as anti-injury.

On the other hand, the UNI EN 12543-1 standard regulates and defines laminated safety glass. This glass consists of two or more sheets of glass joined together by the interposition of plastic material, such as polyvinyl butyral, more commonly known as PVB.

Laminated glass has several classifications:

• anti-injury;
• anti-fall into the void;
• anti-burglary;
• bulletproof.

In the case of injur-resistant glass, our attention focuses on the actions and stresses deriving from static loads such as pressure or depression due to the wind or the voluntary or non-voluntary action of people or things, or the action of static loads such as hydrostatic pressure, snow or other imposed loads, shocks from hail, vibrations, seismic stresses and telluric phenomena, but also vandalism or burglar attempts, gun shots or explosions.

About safety, the risks are classified into:

• damage to people or property, when the breaking of the glass can cause injury to people or damage to property;
• falling into the void, when someone can fall into the void from a height equal to or greater than 1 m, due to the breaking of the glass;
• social damage, when the breaking of the glass can cause damage to works of art or access to noxious or harmful objects or allow the escape of people who are dangerous for society.

Building construction legislation UNI 7697, updated in 2007, identifies which glass to use in situations of potential danger. The D.L. 115 of 1995 (implemented by the European Directive 1992/59 / EC) and the legislative decree 172 of 2004 deal with the general safety of products and have a mandatory value.

In all these cases it is necessary to provide for internal and external tempered or laminated glass. This need is even more pressing in modern buildings, characterized by large glass facades and light wells that improve living comfort and increase the energy efficiency of the buildings they belong to.

We have to replace the old windows

At a certain point in time we need to replace old windows. It is a common choice, dictated by the search for better functionality and the desire to improve the thermal insulation of the home, office and all public environments that in the many hours of operation so much affect the CO2 emissions on the planet.

We also replace old windows to improve the aesthetics of the facade and interiors. The new windows designed and built thanks to continuous research for innovation allow us to increase energy efficiency by reducing consumption. We can also replace the old windows to eliminate drafts and enjoy optimal internal temperatures, having significant savings on the bill.

This is a well-paid-for investment. We have to do this by relying on experts in the sector, who are able to choose the most suitable glass according to the climatic conditions and exposure. In addition, they must know how to combine it with the most suitable frame in terms of functionality.

The facilitations

Replacing a glass is now simpler and more convenient thanks to the new facilitations provided by the Government.

Thanks to them, the replacement becomes a recoverable investment through personal income tax deductions or corporation tax. They are activated at the time of execution of the interventions that increase the level of energy efficiency of the building on which they are performed.

The facilitations vary from 50 to 110% in case of replacement of fixtures together with an intervention that involves the insulation of the facades.

In order to take advantage of the maximum facilitation it is necessary that the intervention on the facade raises the energy class of the building by at least two classes.

This clear program of facilitations for energy redevelopment works decreed by the National Recovery and Resilience Plan offers the possibility of making significant improvements to public and private buildings in terms of energy, economics, aesthetics and housing well-being.