While large glass doors and walls are a popular style choice for many modern offices, there are a number of legal requirements regarding glass manifestation that must be taken into consideration. Large panels of clear glass can often be difficult to detect, making them potentially hazardous for people who are unfamiliar with an area. Glass manifestation is required to be strategically placed on the glass to ensure that it is easy to spot, preventing potential accidents.
Any large glass door or wall is legally required to have sufficient markings – or manifestations – to prevent people from walking into it. These markings are adhered to the glass to make the panel more visible and ensure that people are aware of it.
The rules and regulations for window manifestation specifically state the size and positioning of the markings, ensuring they cover enough surface and are visible enough to prevent incidents from taking place. These regulations determine that manifestations need to be placed between a height of 850mm and 1000mm, and between 1400mm and 1600mm.
Glass safety markings do not need to include any specific design, but the markings must contrast significantly with the background seen through the glass (both inside and out) in all lighting conditions. HM Government Building Regulations advise that manifestation should be in the “form of logo or sign at least 150mm high (repeated if on a glazed screen), or a decorative feature such as broken lines or continuous bands, at least 50mm high”.
This allows companies to get creative with their glass manifestation designs. As long as the regulations are adhered to, glass markings can be designed to fit in with the brand image of the company and can work as an additional decorative point. It is often advisable to use a more elaborate design that covers most or all of the pane of glass, as this will increase the visibility of the glass.
We can design and manufacture a range of glass manifestation tailored to your company and your specific branding. Manifestation will work at two levels, and we can provide glass doors and glazed screens, including screens alongside a corridor.
Glass manifestations are not necessary for each and every pane of glass in a building. The purpose is to prevent injury and, therefore, only defined ‘critical locations’ will require manifestation. These ‘critical locations’ are usually defined by the glass being tall, large or wide, or potentially posing a risk to the public if not clearly marked. Panes that don’t match these criteria don’t require manifestation and can be adorned as usual. Glass installations that are exempt from manifestation include things such as windows, thin glass panels and glass barriers built with rails.
Here at Morgans Consult, we can advise you on the safety regulations regarding any glass panels within your premises. Our expert team can design manifestation based around your brand image that meets all of the legal requirements.
Contact us today to find out more about we can do for you.
