Glass balustrade building regulations in the UK.

Glass balustrade building regulations come into play when there is a change in floor level or drop, and they vary according to the specific application. For example, in domestic situations a balustrade is required to protect against a difference in floor level that is greater than 600mm whereas in commercial properties this is reduced to a floor level change of 380mm. Most frameless glass balustrades will require 21.5mm toughened laminate glass.

There are further regulations that govern how high the balustrade needs to be relative to the drop that it is protecting against, as well as regulations around the impact force that the balustrade needs to be able to withstand. 

When using monolithic toughened glass, (a single non-laminated panel) there is only one line of defense in the event of a breakage and in this case a handrail must also be used as a secondary line of defense.

The standard that applies to balustrade systems in the UK is BS 6180:2011. The slider below illustrates the key force loading requirements under this standard. If you have any questions about UK building regulations surrounding barriers and balustrades, please contact us.