Safety Improvements For Windows In Homes and Buildings

WASHINGTON, July 08, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Windows can be an unseen safety threat to people and pets as the result of breaking glass and the resulting shards that may cut due to sharp edges and momentum, according to the nonprofit International Window Film Association (IWFA).

“Windows are critical to a building’s design and comfort, and they need to be evaluated to make sure they are both safe and effective,” said Darrell Smith, executive director of the IWFA. “Take the time now to arrange for a professional window film dealer to evaluate and address them as needed to protect occupants,” he added.

Areas to review for safety are windows around doors, bathrooms, easily accessible windows, or wherever someone could fall through a window and injure themselves from glass shards or the height of a fall. Also, large areas of glass, such as sliding doors and picture windows, which may pre-date current safety code requirements.

Glass shards from an accidently or intentionally broken window may lead to an emergency room visit. Of the 28 million emergency visits to a hospital in 2017, 1.8 million were due to cuts, according to the Center For Disease Control. While not all of these injuries were from broken window glass, many certainly were.

Glass may often be a weaker part of a building, breaking at lower pressures compared to other components such as the floors, walls, or columns. Bombing incidents have shown glass breakage extending for miles. In the bombing of the Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City, for instance, 40 percent of the survivors cited glass as contributing to their injuries.

Safety / security window films are an option for any structurally sound window. Installed on different types of glass, they may be tested to the same safety performance standards required of tempered glass or laminated glass. Window film manufacturers can provide copies of laboratory tests validating that their products meet specific impact requirements when installed on specific types of glass.

About The International Window Film Association
The International Window Film Association (IWFA) (www.iwfa.com) is a unified industry body of window film dealers, distributors, and manufacturers that facilitates the growth of the window film industry through education, research, advocacy and public awareness. Like us on Facebook and see more information on YouTube.

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