Found in thousands of schools but is window film being used to maximum effect? Part 1.
08 January 2008
In any one week approximately 200 educational establishments are in the process of having their glazing surveyed and upgraded. A surprisingly high figure given that we are talking about glazing as a whole, not just the odd pane of glass.
Left: A typical page from a Glazing Audit showing remedial costs and prioritising risk.
Educational bodies have to review glazing under safety legislation which relates back to the introduction of the Workplace (Health, Safety & Welfare) Regulations 1992, introduced ten years ago. The glazing aspect of these regulations was timely as brittle float glass in ageing schools was proving to be an extremely hazardous commodity and many children had died in the decade before as a result of collision with glass.
Durable Limited was involved in 1996 when the legislation was introduced. Faced with the prohibitive cost of replacing glass, educational bodies and local authorities turned, in the main, to the application of anti-shatter window film. Ten years on the guarantees on those window films have lapsed, coupled with poor records of what was done, exposing each place of education to the same risks as a decade earlier. Indeed in the interim years the growth of the personal claims business has heightened the potential for costly civil actions.
The current programme is very different. Durable Limited is now the sole provider of glazing surveys and window film installation under the Treasury procurement programme: OGC Buying Solutions. The provision of this important safety service is also far more sophisticated today. In 1996 there were many small organisations providing a fragmented, inconsistent and in some cases dubious service.
Now surveys are carried out by qualified people and the results and remedial programmes are electronically recorded. These records are designed for ease of update to cater for breakages. Once an educational unit has complied with the regulations we are able to issue a Certificate of Compliance – which is total peace of mind for everyone – Heads, teachers, Governors, parents and students.
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- 22/12/2014 - 12 days of window film
- 27/10/2014 - The dangers from retail glazing
- 06/10/2014 - Toughened glass may not be as tough as you think
- 06/10/2014 - Guard against spontaneous breakage of glass
- 07/02/2011 - Durable offers free help on Regulation 14
- 07/02/2011 - Durable offers free help on Regulation 14
- 16/06/2010 - When it comes to windows is your organisation a carbon footprint...
- 13/05/2010 - Are you a summer carbon saint or sinner?
- 13/05/2010 - Cooler workplace for free
- 13/05/2010 - Pay-back time for FMs
- 10/04/2008 - Heat and glare
- 10/04/2008 - Heat and glare for Hospitals
- 10/04/2008 - Heat and glare for Schools
- 10/04/2008 - Carbon footprint
- 10/04/2008 - Energy loss & carbon footprint for Hospitals
- 10/04/2008 - Energy loss & carbon footprint for Education
- 13/03/2008 - The problems with windows
- 08/01/2008 - Found in thousands of schools but is window film being used to maximum effect? Part 3.
- 08/01/2008 - Found in thousands of schools but is window film being used to maximum effect? Part 2.
