Having experts like MetroWall onsite to install glass wall systems makes a huge difference in ensuring the project is completed on time and safely. Here are some practices we use onsite to mitigate risk and promote a safe working environment.
Handle with Care
Handling glass on commercial job sites requires planning and attention to detail. This ensures materials don’t break (and risk additional costs to the budget and timeline) and job sites are kept free of harmful debris. Here are some of the practices our installation teams follow:
- Wear appropriate PPE, including safety glasses, safety toe boots, cut-resistant gloves, Kevlar sleeves, and hard hats when necessary
- Avoid sudden movements or impact that could cause glass breakage or injury
- When transporting glass, make sure panels are secure
- Panels should always be lifted by a team so that weight is distributed evenly
- Store glass in designated areas away from high-traffic zones and potential hazards to prevent damage
Damage Control
We use tempered or laminated glass on all our jobs, so if glass does break, it will either break into many tiny pieces or be held together by the laminated interlayer. Of course, it’s never ideal when a piece of glass breaks, and while we do everything we can to ensure materials don’t get damaged in transit or onsite, accidents can happen. If a piece of glass does break on a job site, proper disposal is essential. We recommend having dedicated containers or bins for collecting glass waste. This will prevent glass from getting mixed in with other debris and materials. Additionally, whenever you’re handling broken glass it’s important to wear PPE.
Practice, Practice, Practice
Having a dedicated installation team helps us ensure our premium glass wall interiors are being built correctly and glass is being handled safely. We’ve found that this alleviates a lot of pressure on general contractors because they do not need to budget time or money to train personnel on how to install our products.
To make sure our installers are fully prepared we take them through certification training. Or, if we have an upcoming job with tight tolerances, our installers may test the buildout with our cube at MetroWall HQ. So, when our installers are on site, they are prepared to execute your plans and solve problems as needed.
It takes a collective effort to create a safe work environment on job sites, especially when working with glass. But with the proper planning, training, and care, we’re confident in our team’s ability to get the job done right, get it done safely, and ensure we do our part in safeguarding the well-being of everyone else on site.