It goes without saying that fire safety should be one of the top priorities of any commercial structure. If you own an office, you are responsible for the safety and security of your employees. Therefore, it is critical to ensure that you have a fire protection strategy which is also compliant with commercial safety regulations. And, the key to successful fire protection strategy begins with fire-rated or fire-resistant glass.
What Is Fire Rated Glass?
As the name suggests, fire rated or resistant glass plays a crucial role in protecting a structure in the unfortunate event of a fire. The degree of protection varies depending on the type of fire rated glass you choose but, in general, even the most basic fire-resistant glass stands guard against the spread of smokes and flames. Certain types of fire-rated glass also offer a high degree of insulation against the heat of a fire. Most building regulations across the world have chalked out compliances for fire safety to ensure employer and employee safety.
How does Fire Rated Glass Play a Critical Role in Office Safety?
Here are the top 4 reasons why you must install fire-resistant glass in your workplace.
Fire Containment
The most apparent benefit of fire-rated glass is that it can effectively contain a fire, hot flames, and smoke, thus minimising their spread. However, it is a little-known fact that this type of glass undergoes various treatments and tests before it achieves a fire rating. Fire-rated glass also comes with a stipulated period of protection. The protection duration offered depends on the European Classification Standards (EN 13501) listed below.
E Fire Rated Glass
This type is perhaps the most basic fire rated glass. It can effectively contain flames and smoke for a substantial amount of time but is incapable of preventing the transmission or transfer of heat radiating from the source.
EW Fire Rated Glass
This type is the second category of fire rated glass that offers effective containment of flames and smoke for a great deal of time. But, it also provides some level of insulation or resistance from the heat radiating through the source.
EI Fire Rated Glass
This type is perhaps the gold standard of fire-resistant glass that offers a complete spectrum of protection. Meaning, it does not only keep people safe from fire and smoke but also fully protects them from the heat radiating from the fire source.
Longer Evacuation Duration
Various classifications of fire-rated glass listed above provide anywhere between 30 to 60 minutes for people to evacuate stricken premises and escape to safety. This time window is often enough to help evacuate a great many number of employees. Fire-rated glass can be cleverly incorporated in doors, windows, walls, and partitions to highlight fire escape passages and exits so as to ensure active escape.
Aesthetically Appealing
If you think that fire-rated glass is a purely utilitarian product, think again! These surfaces offer maximum security without compromising on the aesthetic appeal of your office. Heat resistant glass is a far better alternative to opaque window blinds or screens. Much like any other glass surface, it awards your office a sense of openness which makes the entire floor look larger. Choose from a range of designs or customise patterns for office partitions, doors, and windows – the choice is yours!
Easy to Install
It is a common myth that something as tenacious as fire-rated glass will most likely be challenging to install. The truth, however, is far from it! Fire-resistant glass can be customised into any shape or size. Therefore, you don’t need to alter your window dimensions for complete fenestration. Additionally, fire rated glass offers high-quality transparency, which means plenty of natural light ushering into your space. This feature reduces the need for artificial lighting, thus bringing down your office’s electricity bills significantly.
The Bottom Line
In a nutshell, fire rated glass is a practical, cost-effective, and aesthetically appealing product that ensures no harm to human life in the unfortunate event of a fire inside or outside your office premises. This type of glass is also a key component in building modern commercial structures as it greatly harnesses the benefits of natural light and visibility.
Are you looking to select the right kind of fire-rated glass for your next office fenestration project? If so, then look no further than AIS Glass – India’s leading architectural glass manufacturing company. We are a well-established glazing expert with aeons of experience assisting all possible glass-related woes.
Our professionally trained team of experts is fully-equipped and well-seasoned to offer you help in every step of the way – from selection to installation to exceptional after-sales support with quick turnaround time. So, what are you waiting for? Get the best out of fire rated glass by getting in touch with us today!