The value of sharing industry insights

The title of the CPD is ‘Fire Safety Glazing: A system not a product’. Why is taking a system approach to fire safety glass so important?

Steve: “While our fire safety glass is engineered to provide exceptional protection, it is part of a larger system that works together to ensure optimal performance.”

“In any fire-rated glazed system, whether it be a fire door or partition, each individual product and component plays an imperative role in its overall fire protection value. This can be from the glass to the frame, intumescent sealing and any ironmongery or fixings. It should be viewed and treated as a single system, as well as being tested and certified as an approved system. Any attempt to alter or swap out these components – as part of a building refurbishment, for example – can lead to serious consequences in the event of a blaze.”

Andy: “It’s a really important topic and a potentially dangerous one to get wrong, which is why we cover it in depth in our CPD. All too often, we hear from people assuming that so long as the glass is fire rated, the system will perform as intended – but this is not the case.”

What other industry misconceptions do you cover in the CPD?

Steve: “I’d definitely say there’s still a lot of confusion surrounding wired glass. Many people mistakenly believe it’s a security glass because of the wire, assuming it offers high impact resistance. However, the reality is often very different. Another misconception is that all wired glass is fire-rated – again, this isn’t the case.”

Andy: “Balustrades is another application that we aim to explore in the CPD, largely due to the potential for confusion around the amended regulations and laminated versus monolithic glass. That said, I’ll often see questions around whether you can customise our balustrade glass, such as by putting holes in the glass or incorporating a notched design. Of course, questions like these relate back to the system approach theme and the role of certification. If it hasn’t been tested and certified, then it cannot be safely done.”

Steve: “Yes, this is definitely a wider challenge within the industry: there’s often an assumption that fire safety glass can be treated like regular glazing. Ultimately, it is a fire performance product and its secondary function is to look good. While the market has undoubtedly come a long way in terms of delivering on modern aesthetics and architectural trends, there will always be some level of restriction on what can be achieved in terms of its thickness or size (for example), as a result of its primary function and construction.”

Are there any common questions you get asked during the in-person CPD seminars?

Andy: “Fire rated classifications is definitely an area that can be challenging to understand initially, with architects often querying the difference between E, EI and EW and the applications for each. I think part of the confusion comes from the fact that the specification of EW (Integrity & Radiation) isn’t mandatory in the UK like it is in other European countries.

“What I have found helps massively is the use of videos within the CPD, visually demonstrating the difference in performance between the three glass classifications in a fire situation. The visual elements really deliver the shock factor and help architects to understand exactly the level of performance they are specifying when they choose a classification.”

Given all these complexities, why is it important for manufacturers to share their knowledge with others?

Steve: “It’s clear that education on an industry level is still needed; we are all learning every day. The market is moving and evolving, especially after the tragic events at Grenfell. We have seen the amended building regulations, ban on laminated glass in high-rise balustrade applications and the upcoming shift from British Standards to EN. It’s important that architects and specifiers are able to keep up with these changes and we want to help support them and enable them to make more informed decisions.

“In many ways, we act as a technical hub to customers, as well as a supplier. As part of the Technical Fire Safety Group, we live and breathe fire safety, it’s all we do every day. It’s only right that we share this knowledge and work to try and rectify the present misconceptions in the industry.”

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