British and European Safety Standards - using safety window film.

Toughened Glass Atrium. See the Gallery

BS EN 12600 has now superseded BS 6206 as a European wide performance standard for impact safety glass.

Designed to be a more 'modern' test it provides much the same performance levels as BS6206 (see below).

The new classifications within BS EN 12600 (in order of hihest performance are0:

Class 1B1
Class 2B2
Class 3B3

In order to be classified as an impact safe material glass is subjected to this Safety Standard Test. This test defines the level at which glass will "break safe".

The test incorporates the dropping of a weight from three heights onto a standard sized pane of glass.

The point at which the glass breaks forms part of it's classification.

The standard defines three drop heights:

190mm
450mm
1200mm.

Class 3, 190mm drop height, is equivalent to an adult pushing hard against the glass or a child running into it.

Class 2, 450mm drop height, is equivalent to rather more than an adult walking into a glass door, but less than a determined attempt to force a way through by running at it.

Class 1, 1200mm drop height, is for testing glass for critical applications.

Type B breakage is characterised by the fragments being held together, this is the typical breakage mode for glass with a safety film applied or laminated glass.

IMPORTANTLY materials that are classified as safety material meeting the performance criteria of BSEN 12 600 MUST carry an identifiable mark showing the level of safety achieved during test.

In basic principles the table below shows a comparison between BS EN 12600 and BS6206 Classifications: