Which statement correctly describes plate glass in relation to safety glass?

Which statement correctly describes plate glass in relation to safety glass?

• A. Plate glass is safety glass.
• B. All glazing must be safety glass.
• C. Safety glass is always required for all glazing.
• D. Plate glass is not considered safety glass.

Answer: (D)

Plate glass is ordinary annealed glass that hasn’t been specially treated for safety. Safety glass includes tempered glass or laminated glass, which are designed to minimize injury if they break—the tempered glass crumbles into small, less dangerous pieces, and laminated glass holds together with an interlayer even when fractured. Because plate glass can break into large, sharp shards, it does not meet safety glazing criteria, so it isn’t considered safety glass. In practice, safety glass is required in many hazardous glazing locations, but not every glazing situation is mandated to be safety glass, which is why the broader statements about all glazing or always requiring safety glass aren’t accurate.

Plate glass is ordinary annealed glass that hasn’t been specially treated for safety. Safety glass includes tempered glass or laminated glass, which are designed to minimize injury if they break—the tempered glass crumbles into small, less dangerous pieces, and laminated glass holds together with an interlayer even when fractured. Because plate glass can break into large, sharp shards, it does not meet safety glazing criteria, so it isn’t considered safety glass. In practice, safety glass is required in many hazardous glazing locations, but not every glazing situation is mandated to be safety glass, which is why the broader statements about all glazing or always requiring safety glass aren’t accurate.