What is BS EN 14179-1 – Soda-lime silicate safety glass about?
BS EN 14179-1 is part one of a multi-series of European standards on glass in building that covers heat soaked thermally toughened soda lime silicate safety glass and this part tells us its definition and description.
BS EN 14179-1 specifies the heat soak process system together with tolerances, flatness, edgework, fragmentation and physical and mechanical characteristics of monolithic flat heat soaked thermally toughened soda lime silicate safety glass for use in buildings.
Note: Curved heat soaked thermally toughened soda lime silicate safety glass is not part of BS EN 14179-1.
Who is BS EN 14179-1 – Soda-lime silicate safety glass for?
BS EN 14179-1 on soda lime silicate safety glass is useful for:
- Soda lime silicate safety glass manufacturers
- Mechanical engineers
Why should you use BS EN 14179-1 – Soda-lime silicate safety glass?
Heat soaked thermally toughened soda lime silicate safety glass has a safer breakage behaviour when compared with annealed glass. It also has a known level of residual risk of spontaneous breakage arising from the possible presence of critical nickel sulphide (NiS) inclusions in the heat soaked thermally toughened soda lime silicate glass. This case deals with extremely large quantities of glass. These quantities are dealt with on a statistical basis. Therefore, it is impossible to select a quantity of heat soaked thermally toughened soda lime silicate safety glass, for a building, and claim that ‘no break’ by NiS inclusion can occur. The breakage of heat soaked thermally toughened soda lime silicate safety glass caused by other influences is not considered in BS EN 14179-1.
Heat soaked thermally toughened soda lime silicate safety glass is said to be tougher so with the use of BS EN 14179-1 which specifies its tolerances, flatness, edgework, fragmentation and physical and mechanical characteristics, you can increase safety and reliability in your organization.
What’s changed since the last update?
BS EN 14179-1:2016 supersedes BS EN 14179-1:2005 which is withdrawn. BS EN 14179-1:2016 includes some technical changes with respect to BS EN 14179-1:2005. These are:
- Clauses 8 and 9 have been completely revised (including the air cushion manufacturing process)
- The informative Annex “Curved heat soaked thermally toughened soda lime silicate safety glass” has been deleted
- A new informative Annex dealing with an alternative method for the measurement of roller wave distortion has been added
- Subclause 8.2.3 “Tolerances and squareness” has been completely revised; the squareness of rectangular glass panes is now expressed by the difference between its diagonals
- The glass temperature during the holding time of the heat soak process cycle has been reduced

