Most business owners do not think about their glass until it breaks. But glass compliance is not just a breakage issue. It is a building code issue, an occupational health and safety issue, and, if someone is injured, a liability issue.
If your commercial premises has glass doors, shopfront panels, partitions, balustrades, or overhead glazing, that glass must meet specific Australian Standards. Non-compliant glass is not a hypothetical risk. It is a documented cause of serious injuries in Australian workplaces and retail environments every year.
This checklist covers the key compliance requirements for commercial glass in NSW. It is not a substitute for a professional assessment, but it gives you a starting point for identifying problems before an inspector, insurer, or injured customer finds them first.
Why Compliance Matters for Business Owners
Three practical reasons:
Work Health and Safety. Under the Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (NSW), a person conducting a business or undertaking (PCBU) has a duty to provide a safe workplace. If a worker or visitor is injured by non-compliant glass, the PCBU can face prosecution. “I didn’t know the glass was wrong” is not a defence.
Insurance. If an incident involving glass results in an injury or property damage claim, your insurer will assess whether the glass was compliant at the time. Non-compliant glass can give an insurer grounds to reduce or deny the claim. It can also void your public liability coverage for glass-related incidents.
Lease and sale obligations. Commercial leases typically require the tenant to maintain the premises in compliance with all applicable building codes. When a commercial property is sold, the building inspection will flag non-compliant glass. Rectification before settlement is standard.
The Checklist
Work through each section below. If you answer “no” or “unsure” to any item, that area needs professional assessment.
1. Safety Glass in Human Impact Areas
The standard: AS 1288 requires safety glass (toughened or laminated, complying with AS/NZS 2208) in any location where a person could walk into, fall against, or be pushed into the glass.
What to check:
- Glass doors (hinged, sliding, automatic): is every panel safety glass?
- Sidelights and full-height panels adjacent to doors: is every panel safety glass?
- Glass panels below 800mm from the floor: is every panel safety glass?
- Glass within 500mm of a door edge: is every panel safety glass?
- Shower screens and bathroom enclosures (in hospitality, gym, or wellness premises): is every panel safety glass?
How to verify: Look for the AS/NZS 2208 stamp etched or printed in one corner of each glass panel. If there is no stamp, the glass may not be safety glass. Older buildings (pre-mid-1990s) commonly have non-compliant glass in locations that now require safety glazing.
If you find panels without a safety stamp in any of these locations, do not wait. Get them assessed by a licensed glazier and replaced if necessary.
2. Manifestation Markings
The standard: AS 1288 requires that fully glazed panels that could be mistaken for an opening must have permanent manifestation markings to make the glass visible. This applies to frameless glass doors, full-height glass panels, and glass partitions without visible frames.
What to check:
- Do full-height glass panels have markings at a height between 900mm and 1,500mm from the floor?
- Are the markings permanent (frosted, etched, or applied vinyl) rather than temporary stickers?
- Are the markings visible from both sides of the glass?
- Do frameless glass doors have markings that distinguish them from fixed panels?
Common failures: Markings that have peeled off, faded, or been removed during cleaning. Markings at the wrong height. Panels that were installed without markings because the installer did not know they were required.
Manifestation markings do not need to be ugly. Many businesses use their logo, a frosted band, or a design element that doubles as branding and compliance. The key requirement is that someone walking toward the glass can see it before they walk into it.
3. Overhead Glazing
The standard: Any glass installed above head height where it could fall onto people if broken must be laminated glass. This includes skylights, glass canopies, atrium glazing, and awnings over walkways.
What to check:
- Is all overhead glass laminated (not toughened only)?
- Are there signs of seal failure, cracking, or discolouration in any overhead panels?
- Are overhead glass panels accessible for inspection and cleaning?
Why it matters: Toughened glass shatters into small pieces when it breaks. If a toughened panel is overhead, those pieces fall. Laminated glass holds together when broken because the plastic interlayer keeps the fragments attached. This is why laminated glass is mandatory for overhead applications.
If your premises has a skylight, glass awning, or atrium, and you are not certain whether the glass is laminated, get it checked. This is a high-consequence compliance item.
4. Glass Balustrades and Barriers
The standard: Glass balustrades in commercial premises must comply with AS 1170 (structural loading), AS 1288 (glass selection and installation), and the Building Code of Australia. The requirements vary depending on whether the glass is structural (supporting loads without a top rail) or infill (held within a frame).
What to check:
- Is the glass in all balustrades toughened, laminated, or toughened laminated as specified by the design?
- Is the balustrade height at least 1,000mm for areas where the drop exceeds 1,000mm?
- Are glass panels free from chips, cracks, or edge damage?
- Are fixings (spigots, channels, clamps) secure and free from corrosion?
- For pool barriers, does the balustrade comply with AS 1926.1 as well?
Common failures: Corrosion on spigots and fixings, particularly in coastal locations across the Illawarra. Loose panels that have shifted over time. Non-compliant glass type (toughened only where toughened laminated is required for a structural barrier).
5. Fire-Rated Glazing
The standard: The Building Code of Australia specifies where fire-rated glazing is required. This includes glass near fire exits, glass between tenancies, glass in fire-rated walls, and glass in smoke lobbies.
What to check:
- Are glass panels in fire-rated walls, doors, or screens made from fire-rated glass (wired glass, borosilicate, or fire-rated ceramic)?
- Do fire-rated glass panels have the appropriate fire-resistance level (FRL) marking?
- Have any fire-rated panels been replaced with standard glass during previous maintenance or renovation?
Common failures: Replacement of fire-rated glass with standard toughened glass during a previous repair or renovation. This is more common than you might expect, and it creates a serious compliance gap. A standard toughened panel in a fire-rated position will not resist heat and flame spread as required.
6. Door and Gate Hardware
The standard: Glass doors must have hardware that is appropriate for the glass type and weight, and that meets the operational requirements of the Building Code (accessibility, emergency egress, fire safety).
What to check:
- Do automatic glass doors have safety sensors that detect obstructions?
- Do glass exit doors open in the direction of egress travel?
- Are glass door hinges and closers rated for the weight of the panel?
- Are glass doors in accessible paths compliant with AS 1428 (Design for Access and Mobility)?
7. Edge Damage and Panel Condition
The standard: AS 1288 specifies that glass panels with edge chips, cracks, or surface damage beyond specified limits should be replaced. Damaged glass has reduced structural capacity and may fail unexpectedly.
What to check:
- Are there visible chips on the edges of any glass panels?
- Are there cracks in any panels, including hairline cracks starting from the edge?
- Are there scratches deep enough to catch a fingernail?
- Is there discolouration, hazing, or delamination in any laminated panels?
Edge chips in toughened glass are particularly concerning. Toughened glass is under high internal tension, and a chip at the edge can cause spontaneous shattering without any additional impact.
What to Do If You Find Issues
If this checklist flagged one or more issues, here is the practical path forward:
Do not panic. Most compliance issues are fixable. A non-compliant panel can be replaced. Missing manifestation markings can be applied. Corroded fixings can be renewed.
Get a professional assessment. A licensed glazier can survey your premises, identify every non-compliant item, and provide a prioritised quote for rectification. The most urgent items (non-safety glass in human impact areas, damaged overhead glazing) should be addressed first.
Document everything. Keep records of the assessment, the remediation work, and the compliance documentation for each replaced or repaired panel. This protects you in the event of an insurance claim, a lease dispute, or a WHS investigation.
Schedule regular inspections. Glass compliance is not a one-time check. Hardware wears, seals degrade, panels get damaged, and building modifications can create new compliance requirements. An annual glass inspection is good practice for any commercial premises.
Book a Commercial Glass Assessment
If you are a business owner, property manager, or tenant in NSW and you want your glass checked for compliance, contact our team. We assess and replace commercial glass across Wollongong, Sydney, the Illawarra, and the Southern Highlands
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