Glazing Requirements for Safety and Human Impact

What This Requirement Covers

This requirement sets out how glazing (glass and other transparent or translucent panels) must be selected, designed, installed and marked to reduce injury risk from human impact and to ensure glazing performs safely under foreseeable loads. It exists because ordinary annealed glass can shatter into sharp fragments when struck or when subjected to everyday forces (doors, falls, handrails, balustrades, showers, kitchens), creating a significant hazard. The rules ensure glazing either resists impact without breaking, or if it does break, it does so in a way unlikely to cause serious injury.

These provisions apply to new and renovated buildings across domestic and commercial classes regulated by the National Construction Code (NCC) and the ABCB Housing Provisions. They are targeted at designers, builders, certifiers and suppliers specifying glazing for locations with a reasonable likelihood of human impact (for example doors and adjacent side panels, full-height glazing, low-level glazing on room perimeters, bathroom and kitchen splashback glazing, balustrades and overhead glazing).

Key Requirements

1. The NCC Performance Requirements for glazing at risk of human impact (B1P3 in NCC Volume One and H1P1/H1D8 references in Volume Two/Housing Provisions) require glazing to either:
2. break in a way unlikely to cause injury, or
3. resist a reasonably foreseeable human impact without breaking, and
4. be protected or marked to reduce human impact (NCC 2022 Volume One, B1P3).
5. For Class 1 and 10 buildings, compliance pathways are set out in NCC Volume Two and the ABCB Housing Provisions. Performance Requirement H1P1 is satisfied where glazing complies with Part 8.3 and Part 8.4 of the ABCB Housing Provisions, or is designed and constructed in accordance with AS 1288 (NCC 2022 Volume Two, Part D2.16; see Volume Two explanatory notes). Exact applicability: NCC Volume Two states Performance Requirement H1P1(4) for glazed assemblies at risk of human impact must be designed and constructed in accordance with AS 1288 for glass and AS 2047 for windows, or comply with Part 8.4 of the ABCB Housing Provisions.
6. ABCB Housing Provisions Part 8.3 and 8.4 set out specific size, thickness and safety glazing material requirements for human-impact locations (ABCB Housing Provisions Standard 2022, Parts 8.3 and 8.4).
7. Specific numeric limits and classifications in Part 8.4 (ABCB Housing Provisions 2022):
8. Doors and side panels: glass in doors must be Grade A safety glazing as per Table 8.4.2 and Figure 8.4.2. Unframed doors (except shower/bath enclosures) must use toughened safety glass minimum nominal thickness 10 mm or laminated toughened safety glass minimum total thickness 10 mm (ABCB Housing Provisions 8.4.2).
9. Limitations for small annealed pieces: leadlight or decorative monolithic annealed pieces may be used only up to 0.05 m2 area with minimum nominal thickness 3 mm; for some annealed panels in doors max area 0.1 m2 for 3 mm and 4 mm annealed glass (ABCB Housing Provisions 8.4.2).
10. Full-height framed glazed panels and glazed panels on room perimeters: are treated in 8.4.4 and 8.4.5 respectively - where human-impact risks exist these panels must meet Grade A or Grade B safety glazing classifications and thickness/lamination/toughening requirements as listed in Table 8.4.x in the ABCB Housing Provisions (see Part 8.4 for full tables and figures).
11. Bathrooms, ensuites, spa rooms and splash-backs: specific requirements apply in 8.4.6 for glazing located where occupants may slip or fall against glazing. These panels typically require safety glass (Grade A) or specific thickness/lamination depending on the panel size and mounting.
12. Visibility and marking: safety glass must be legibly marked as safety glass in accordance with 8.4.7 and made visible (for example by contrasting bands or decals) in accordance with 8.4.8 (ABCB Housing Provisions 8.3.1(e), 8.3.1(f), 8.4.7, 8.4.8).
13. Australian Standards referenced (use where applicable):
14. AS/NZS 2208 / AS 2208 Glass in buildings - selection and installation of safety glazing materials (marking and classification guidance) (used in conjunction with AS 1288 references).
15. AS 1288 Glass in buildings - Selection and installation - sets out minimum design and installation criteria for glazing and safety glazing in human impact locations (NCC Volume Two and ABCB Housing Provisions reference AS 1288 for glass selection and installations).
16. AS 2047 Windows in buildings - selection and performance requirements for tested windows (NCC Volume Two references AS 2047 for windows design and testing).
17. AS 1170.1 (Structural design actions - permanent, imposed and other actions) for glass used in barriers to withstand loading forces (ABCB Housing Provisions 8.3.1(e)).
18. Where glazing forms part of structural assemblies (balustrades, overhead glazing), glass used in barriers must be able to withstand the design loads in accordance with AS 1170.1 and the relevant NCC structural provisions (ABCB Housing Provisions 8.3.1(e)).

Residential vs Commercial

1. Residential (Class 1 and 10): The ABCB Housing Provisions (Parts 8.3 and 8.4) provide a prescriptive compliance path for domestic and some small residential situations. For Class 1 and 10 buildings, designers can rely on the Housing Provisions for human-impact glazing requirements and specific tables giving allowable sizes, thicknesses and safety glass grades (NCC Volume Two and ABCB Housing Provisions Standard 2022, Parts 8.3 and 8.4).
2. Commercial (Class 2 to 9): Commercial, public and multi-residential buildings fall under NCC Volume One. The Performance Requirement B1P3 applies. Compliance is achieved by following AS 1288 for glass selection and AS 2047 for windows (where applicable), or by meeting equivalent performance-based solutions. Commercial projects may require higher safety margins, specific laminated glazing, balustrade design to AS/NZS 1170 actions, and additional marking or visibility requirements. Window systems are expected to be tested and certified per AS 2047 when installed in the external envelope (NCC 2022 Volume One, B1P3 and Volume Two references).

Exceptions and Exemptions

1. The ABCB Housing Provisions Part 8.4 does not apply where H1D8(3) is complied with - check the Housing Provision cross-reference for allowable alternative constructions or design solutions.
2. Certain small decorative leadlight or annealed glass pieces are exempt from Grade A safety glazing where size limits apply (for example maximum 0.05 m2 for leadlight pieces with minimum thickness 3 mm) (ABCB Housing Provisions 8.4.2).
3. Glazed assemblies that are internal, revolving doors, fixed louvres, skylights, rooflights, windows not in the vertical plane, architectural one-off windows, second-hand or heritage windows may be excluded from the prescriptive Housing Provisions and instead require assessment under AS 1288 or a performance solution (NCC Volume Two explanatory notes and Volume Two clauses referring to AS 1288 and AS 2047).
4. For existing buildings undergoing alteration, some glazing may be permitted to remain where removal would be unreasonable, but local jurisdictional rules and the certifier’s interpretation of the NCC and state schedules will apply. Always check state schedule variations.

State and Territory Variations

1. The NCC is a national code but each state and territory may adopt schedules that modify or add requirements. The NCC Volume One and Volume Two note that state schedules (Schedules 4-12) may affect requirements. Examples to check in your jurisdiction:
2. Queensland: Schedule 7 contains Queensland-specific provisions that can affect glazing and safety-related requirements. Refer to the Queensland schedule in NCC Volume One.
3. New South Wales, Victoria, Western Australia, South Australia, Tasmania, Northern Territory and ACT: each has schedules or local regulations that may alter acceptable solutions, marking or certification requirements for glazing. Always verify the relevant state schedule in NCC 2022 Volume One (Schedules 4-12) and local building regulations.
4. Local councils or certifiers may impose additional conditions (for example for heritage areas, building near rail corridors or for specified public buildings) - check with the local approval authority.

Practical Compliance Tips

1. Use the Housing Provisions where applicable: for Class 1 and 10 projects follow ABCB Housing Provisions Parts 8.3 and 8.4 for a straightforward prescriptive path and the exact tables for glass grade, thickness and area limits.
2. Specify safety glazing (Grade A) for all doors, side panels, full-height glazing and low-level perimeter glazing in human impact zones. Where in doubt choose laminated toughened glass to combine retention and fragmentation control.
3. Mark and make visible safety glass: ensure every safety glass product is legibly marked per 8.4.7 and provide visibility markers (bands or decals) per 8.4.8 to reduce accidental impact.
4. For windows in the building perimeter, use AS 2047-tested window systems where required by NCC Volume Two and ensure frames, seals and hardware are appropriate for wind and water loads. Don’t rely on glass properties alone to comply with structural performance.
5. For balustrades, overhead glazing and barriers, design for the loads in AS 1170.1 and select glass and supporting details (lamination, edge treatments, fixings) accordingly. Have structural glass elements certified by a structural engineer.
6. Avoid undersized or thin annealed glass in human-impact locations: small decorative pieces may be permitted within strict area and thickness limits, but do not use annealed glass where a person could fall against it unless it meets the specific small-area exemptions in the Housing Provisions.
7. Always check state schedules and consult a registered building certifier for borderline or unusual situations (heritage windows, architectural one-offs, reused windows, skylights, frameless doors) because these are commonly excluded from the prescriptive Housing Provisions and may need a performance solution or testing to AS 1288/AS 2047.

Sources: NCC 2022 Volume One - Building Code of Australia (B1P3), NCC 2022 Volume Two - Building Code of Australia (H1P1 and related clauses), ABCB Housing Provisions Standard 2022 (Parts 8.3 and 8.4), AS 1288, AS 2047, AS 1170.1.