This morning the Today show reported on the number of children who die from injuries related to glass tables. Sadly, many glass-topped tables are not made with tempered glass, which would prevent these life-threatening injuries. Here's what you can do to make your furniture safe...
According to Consumer Reports, an estimated 20,000 people, mostly children, are treated for injuries related to glass furniture every year. On average, three children die each year from these injuries. Until safety standards change there is an easy way to prevent injuries happening in your home.
Tempered glass is regular glass that has been treated with high temperatures to increase strength and change the break pattern. When ordinary glass breaks large shards can easily puncture skin and lacerate blood vessels. Tempered glass, on the other hand, breaks into small pieces, reducing the risk of bleeding and death from broken glass. Tempered glass is also stronger and can withstand greater pressure and heat.
If you have a glass topped table that is not tempered you do not have to get rid of it. There are many manufacturing companies that will temper the piece for you. If you aren’t sure if your glass table is tempered, you can use a polarized lens to see the stress marks left behind from the tempering process. You can also check with the manufacturer about the type of glass used for your particular piece of furniture. Another quick test is to check your glass for scratches and marks. Un-tempered glass scratches easily.
For additional information please check the following websites:
(Image: akeg on Flickr
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on our first night in a new house, my sister ran through a glass door (non tempered glass) and had to get 92 stitches in her leg! she was ok in the end, and i got to clean the large puddle of blood in the kitchen. get your glass tempered!
Any solutions for glass that's not easy to remove, like glass panes in cupboard doors? There's window film for exterior windows that's designed to protect against storm damage and break-ins, but it requires professional installation. Do any plastic window films sold in big-box stores for things like UV protection also keep glass shards in place if hit by a toy or errant broom handle, for example?
I recently moved into an apt and 3 weeks ago the shower door fell off the track and shattered. It was tempered but i still got cut in many places(a tub full of glass pieces is not how one would want to start their work week, took me hours to pick out the bits from my skin - ouch).
I bought some safety window film from http://tapplastics.com/ that I was able to install myself on our glass-multipaned front door. It was easy to install and you really can't see it unless you're looking for the edges. It's $7.95 per linear foot and it's 48" wide, so doing my front door only took 2 feet of film.
My friend's mother was killed by a fall into a glass-topped table. Bled to death. For that reason I won't buy furniture that has non-tempered glass. So avoidable.
outonalimb - scary. sad.
The films do work well, if you're dealing with glass that's not tempered and that can't be easily removed. Keep in mind though the films can't stand up to extreme heat.
I'd recommend that anyone living in earthquake country who has old windows apply film to them, especially if you sit or sleep beneath them. The film will help hold the window in place even if it shatters. Probably useful for those in hurricane or tornado alley, too.
My child broke a tempered glass cabinet door. It was a mess of pebbles, but he had only a scratch on him. Tempered glass is amazing.
I solve this by avoiding all glass in furniture. Even the tempered stuff makes me feel insecure...
Ditto, lemonadefish. It just makes me nervous. I'd much rather splinter a wooden table than shatter even a tempered glass table.
That said, I love tempered glass. All my everyday glasses are tempered glass and I can't imagine having anything else with the way those things get banged around by everyone.