What to Do When Glass Fails Unexpectedly

Immediate response: make the area safe

The first priority is safety. A broken or failing glass panel on a building above ground level can drop fragments onto pedestrians, vehicles, and building entries below. The response must begin before calling a glazier.

• Evacuate the area directly below the damaged panel. If the building has a podium, awning, or covered walkway, assess whether it can safely catch falling fragments.
• Cordon off the ground-level exclusion zone using barriers, witches hats, and signage. The exclusion zone should extend at least 3 metres beyond the expected fall line, more for taller buildings.
• If the panel is still partially in the frame but cracked, do not attempt to push it out or tape it from the exterior. Cracked toughened glass can fail suddenly and completely.
• Notify building management, security, and if the panel is above a public area, contact local council or police for traffic management if required.

Assessing the damage

Once the area is secured, assess the failure type:

• Toughened glass failure: the panel shatters into small, roughly cubic fragments. If the panel has fallen, there will be a large volume of small glass pieces on the ground. If the panel is still in the frame, it will appear as a web of cracks with the fragments held loosely by the frame or sealant.
• Laminated glass failure: the panel cracks but the interlayer holds the fragments together. The panel sags or bulges but typically remains in the opening. This is a lower immediate risk but the panel must still be replaced.
• Annealed glass failure: the panel breaks into large, sharp shards. This is the highest risk failure type because the fragments are large, heavy, and capable of causing serious injury. Annealed glass should not be used in locations where failure could injure people.

The failure type helps determine urgency and repair method.

Temporary make-safe

A professional glazing team will make the site safe using one or more of these methods:

• Plywood boarding: screwed over the opening from the interior side. This is the fastest make-safe for accessible openings.
• Temporary glazing: a sheet of clear polycarbonate or glass installed as a temporary pane while the permanent replacement is manufactured.
• Safety film: applied over cracked but intact laminated glass to provide additional fragment retention until replacement.
• Hoarding at ground level: if the damaged panel cannot be immediately secured, hoarding below the opening protects the public.

The make-safe should be weatherproof if possible. An open window opening on a high-rise building will allow rain and wind into the building, potentially causing significant water damage to interiors.

Documenting the failure

Before any temporary repairs are made, document the failure thoroughly:

• Photographs of the damaged panel from inside, outside, and at close range showing the fracture pattern
• Photographs of any glass fragments on the ground, including their size and distribution
• Photographs of the frame, sealant, and fixings around the damaged panel
• Notes on weather conditions at the time of failure
• Notes on any activities near the panel (construction, cleaning, impact from objects)

This documentation supports the insurance claim and helps identify the failure cause. The fracture pattern is diagnostic: radial cracks from an impact point indicate impact damage; edge-initiated cracks suggest thermal stress; the butterfly pattern at a fracture origin indicates nickel sulfide inclusion.

Insurance process

Most commercial building insurance policies cover accidental glass breakage. The process is:

• Notify your insurer or broker immediately and provide the initial documentation
• Obtain a detailed scope and quotation from a glazing contractor
• Your insurer may appoint a loss adjuster to inspect the damage
• Proceed with the make-safe and temporary works (these are typically covered)
• Manufacture and install the permanent replacement glass
• Submit the final invoice, scope, and photographic documentation for claim settlement

Keep records of all costs including emergency call-out fees, temporary boarding, traffic management, and the permanent replacement.

Permanent replacement

The replacement glass must match the specification of the original panel. This includes glass type (toughened, laminated, IGU), thickness, tint, coating, and thermal performance. The replacement must comply with the current edition of AS 1288.

Manufacturing lead time for standard glass is typically 1 to 3 weeks. Specialist glass (large format, custom tints, specific coatings) can take 4 to 8 weeks. Planning for this lead time is part of the initial make-safe strategy.

Installation of the permanent replacement is typically done via the same access method as the make-safe. For high-rise panels, this means rope access or the building maintenance unit.

References

• AS 1288:2021: Glass in buildings - Selection and installation
• AS/NZS 4667:2000: Quality requirements for cut-to-size and processed glass
• WHS Regulations: Duty to manage risks at the workplace