Shattering glass in condos has become a common problem, causing much concern amongst residents.
Two weeks ago, a window in a condo unit at The Trizon shattered, causing broken glass to land all over the bedroom, including into the cot of the homeowner’s infant son, reported The Straits Times.
Luckily, the one-year-old was not in the cot when the incident happened. The unit belongs to a supply chain manager who wanted to be known only as Mr David.
Savills, which manages the condominium, explained that it was a case of spontaneous glass shattering, in which glass toughened by heat breaks on its own. It was the 12th such incident in the estate over a period of five years.
The Building and Construction Authority (BCA) revealed that it has received an average of 15 complaints of shattering glass per year over the last four years, from a total of 25 condominiums.
Upon reviewing building regulations on the use of glass at various critical areas, the BCA has required buildings to use laminated glass from July 2011, where glass is utilised as a whole, or as part of a safety barrier. This is to ensure that the broken pieces will be held together in case of spontaneous breakage.
But these regulations do not retroactively apply to estates such as The Trizon, since building plans for such developments were submitted before July 2011. “Prior to July 2011, tempered glass was allowed by BCA to be used as (a) safety barrier because (it) is known for its strength,” said BCA.
However, it carries the risk of spontaneous shattering, due to the expansion of nickel sulphide crystals within the glass over time. “It is generally known that metallic nickel contamination of the raw materials for glass manufacturing can combine with sulphur (from furnace fuel) during melting to form a nickel sulphide inclusion,” said Meng Heng Glass operations director Ian Lee.
“This may cause spontaneous breakage if the glass is subsequently heat-treated,” he said. While it cannot be easily detected by technology or seen with naked eye, the inclusion of nickel sulphide is one of the common reasons for such breakage, said Singapore Safety Glass business development manager Gary Lee. Other reasons may include “edge damage or surface damage (of the glass) from handling or installation”.
Fong Kim Choy, deputy president of National Safety Council, suggested installing film on glass barriers at home which can hold together shattered glass if necessary. “You cannot prevent shattering — it’s the nature of glass manufacturing,” he said. “But what we can do is prevent harm if it shatters.”
Cheryl Marie Tay, Senior Journalist at PropertyGuru, edited this story. To contact her about this or other stories, email cheryl@propertyguru.com.sg
