Glazing Compliance : A Clear Vision

The use of glazing is an ever growing part of commercial construction.

Glass is used to create a sense of space, openness and in shops, is used to showcase displays of items for sale to lure people into shops.

There are some important considerations that need to be looked at from a compliance perspective:

• Type of glass e.g. Safety Glass
• Structural considerations for large scale glass installations
• Fire Rating requirements of glass
• Risk of persons walking into the glass

The risk of persons walking into glass is often an overlooked requirement, particularly in new offices and training room fitouts.

Clause D3.12 of the BCA states “on an accessway, where there is no chair rail, handrail or transom, all frameless or fully glazed doors, sidelights and any glazing capable of being mistaken for a doorway or opening, must be clearly marked in accordance with AS 1428.1.”

The requirements for visual indication of glazing are documented under AS1428.1-2009. Generally, the standard makes provision that contrasting lines, not less than 75mm in width must be provided across the full width of the glazing, with the lowest portion of the line being between 900-1000mm above the finished floor level. It is also a requirement that the line used achieves a minimum 30% contrast when viewed against other surfaces within 2m.

A similar requirement applies to identify doorways, where a luminance contrast of 30% must be provided between:

• The door and door jamb
• The door and adjacent wall
• The architrave and the door
• The door jamb and adjacent wall

Note that not all options will comply in all scenarios, as the minimum width of the contrast element is 50mm.

Article contribution
James Dunstan | Director – Professional Certification Group,   Interior Fitout Magazine (ASOFIA, April – June 2019), p. 48.

Tenancy or Shop Fitout Approvals
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