Ever noticed the patterns and graphics that are featured on glass doors, walls and windows? They’re far more than just a decorative feature – they’re actually a legal requirement. Although glass is a popular material due to its ability to let in lots of natural light and open up a space, the downside is that it’s not always easy to spot.
Manifestations were created as a way to make glass immediately apparent, to avoid any nasty collisions or accidents. These graphics are adhered to the glass to highlight that there’s something there and – hopefully – stop people from walking into them. Manifestations are required on internal or external walls, doors and windows that are made of glass.
Glass manifestation regulations
Building Regulations 2000: Part M sets out the guidelines clearly on how to make glass entrances and screens compliant to the legal requirements. It states that:
Visibility requirements: Glass entrance doors and glazed screens must have manifestations at two levels: at 850 – 1000m, and at 1400 – 1600mm above the floor. They need to contrast clearly with the background both inside and outside the glass, and should be visible in all lighting conditions.
Regulation 14 of the Workplace (Healthy, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992 states that transparent surfaces must be marked or incorporate features to make them visible.
Types of manifestations: Common forms of manifestations include decorative features – like continuous bands, or broken lines – or they could be logos, signs and other designs. However, they must meet the above visibility and height requirements.
However, not all glass walls, windows and partitions require manifestations, as some will already have features that make them visible enough. The legislation lists the following as exemptions:
- Glazing with rails between 600 – 1500mm above the floor
- Glazing that is less than 400mm in width between the frames
- Single-pane glazed doors with a substantial frame
- Glazed doors without frames, or with narrow frames, that have large handles or push plates on each single pane.
Benefits of glass manifestations
Legal compliance
Above everything else, glass manifestations are a legal requirement! Fitting manifestations gives you the peace of mind that your property is compliant with UK Building Regulations and the Workplace (Health, Safety, and Welfare) Regulations 1992.
Health and safety regulations
Collisions with glass are a major hazard, so it’s in a workplace’s best interests to stay on top of health and safety regulations. It’s not just about avoiding the potential legal ramifications, however – it’s about showing your commitment to the wellbeing of your employees, visitors and customers. Manifestations couldn’t be an easier way of making your existing windows safer, as they make clear glass obvious to passersby.
Design and branding
Far from just being a safety measure, glass manifestations can also be a way of further incorporating your branding into your workplace decor. Broken lines or continuous bands may be common choices, as are rows of dots of different sizes, but as long as your glass manifestation is legally compliant and is contrasting visually with the background, you can get creative. You can pick a bespoke design like company logos, graphics, shapes or patterns – for example, if you’re trying to find manifestations for a shopfront, you could go for something bold and eye-catching to draw in potential customers.
Privacy
Manifestations can also double up as extra privacy, without sacrificing natural light. If you have glass partitions separating areas that need more privacy, like board rooms or meeting rooms, frosted film can be used to keep it shielded from prying eyes, whilst also adhering to the necessary safety measures.
Glass manifestation installation
All public buildings that have glass windows need to stick to the UK safety regulations to ensure the safety of their occupants, so if your workplace doesn’t already have glass manifestations in critical locations around your building – or if you’d like to upgrade your existing ones – it’s incredibly important to get them installed.As specialists in all things glazing enhancements, we offer bespoke glass manifestations in a range of colours, designs and finishes.
All of our solutions are durable, easy to maintain, and ideal for high-traffic commercial environments, so you know they’re going to last – and they’re fitted by expert installers.. Plus, we’ve got a thorough understanding of the UK laws and regulations around manifestations, so they will be totally compliant and up to code. Get in touch with our team if you’d like to find out more about our glass manifestation service.
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