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Top Glass Seminar – The definition of safety

The Canadian Glass Committee is back in action after long hiatus and has produced the first update to CAN/CGSB 12.1 Safety Glazing since 1990. Working with representatives from ANSI Z97.1, the update has issued new definitions for safety glass and its product categories, addressed new technologies and processes and brought the standard into harmonization with Z97.1 and the relevant Canadian standards and codes.

Canadian fabricators and specifiers now have a home-grown standard addressing testing for impact resistance, fragmentation, thermal changes, weathering, indoor aging, hardness and modulus of laminated, tempered, organic-coated and plastic glazing structures. Committee vice-chair John Kent will introduce the standard, explain the changes and answer your questions about how the rejuvenated CAN/CGSB 12.1 can help you build better balconies, indoor partitions and fenestration where safety is a concern.

About the speaker
After receiving a BS in engineering from the United States Merchant Marine Academy at Kings Point, N.Y., John has been involved with product performance testing and certification for over 28 years, 26 with involvement in the glass, glazing and fenestration industry. Prior to starting AMS in 1998, John worked for a leading independent testing laboratory having involvement with over 30 testing and certification processes. He has been responsible for the management of the SGCC (Safety Glazing Certification Council) and IGCC (Insulating Glass Certification Council) certification programs since 1989 and the WDMA (Window and Door Manufacturer’s Association) and WDMA/NFRC certification programs since the early 2000s. More recently he has been involved in the development of the NACC (North American Contractor Certification) program for Architectural Glass and Metal Contractors. He has also spent many years in close co-operation with GANA (Glass Association of North America), and IGMA (Insulating Glass Manufacturer’s Alliance) and is currently the vice chair of the ANSI Z97.1 committee on safety glazing. AMS focuses on providing management, administrative, auditing, accreditation support and technical services for association sponsored or supported certification and testing processes.

TOPIC / Made in Canada: A harmonized standard for safety glazing 27 years in the making

Presenter / John Kent, AMS Certification