New York State Education Department Issues Wired Glass Advisory

The New York State Education Department (NYSED), in its March 2006 Office of Facilities Planning newsletter, issued an advisory on the use of wired glass in educational facilities.

The advisory comes after the NYSED researched the 2003 International Building Code (IBC), which will soon be adopted by New York State as the statewide building code. NYSED learned that the 2003 IBC requires all glazing in impact areas in educational occupancies to be impact resistant.

"New York State will soon adopt this provision and new installations of glazing in hazardous locations in schools will be required to be impact-resistant," stated the NYSED. "There are several fire-rated and impact-resistant glazing options available today and school districts and architects should research the advantages and disadvantages of all options. Wired glass will not be an available option."

Faced with the decision of what to do with existing wired glass installations, the NYSED is strongly recommending that all existing wired glass locations be evaluated for potential impact and injury. Some of the options being considered include impact- and fire-resistant materials, specialty films and installing protective bars and railings.