Understanding Shop Front Glazing Regulations

When you own or manage a commercial property with a shop front, you’ll need to make sure you’re complying with the glazing regulations. The regulations are designed to protect people who use your premises and will keep your property secure. Any accident could severely damage your reputation.

What’s Involved in Replacing Shopfront Glazing?

Glazing regulations form part of the broader building regulations.

You must meet key regulatory areas for shop front glass: safety in “critical locations”, thermal performance, and accessibility/security. Under Approved Document K (Part K) you must ensure glazing where people might collide with it, or fall through, is either safely breakable, impact-resistant, or protected from contact.

Meanwhile, Approved Document L requires any new or replacement glazing in commercial shopfronts to meet minimum energy and thermal standards. You also need to heed the Equality Act 2010 for access, plus fire and safety obligations under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and local planning rules.

Local authorities and insurers may demand certified, professionally installed glazing with documented compliance.

If you don’t follow the glazing regulations, you risk serious consequences. That can be unlimited fines or imprisonment for anyone with responsibility. You could be required to demolish or alter the non-compliant work at your own expense.

It pays to choose the right installer from the start. Don’t use a contractor who cannot provide certification or documentation of compliance. Without this you may fail fire, safety or insurance checks.

Basic Key UK Shopfront Glazing Regulations

Your shop front provides natural light, display opportunities and visibility for your business. At the same time, it must be safe, secure, efficient and compliant. It must meet regulatory standards. And there are several layers of regulation you must keep in mind:

Safety, collision and impact protection

The Approved Document K (Part K) of the Building Regulations 2010 sets out guidance on glazing in “critical locations” in all buildings other than most domestic dwellings.

Part K covers glazing that people can collide with, fall through or otherwise be harmed by. For example:

Glazing in doors

Glass doors are used constantly in commercial buildings. When the glass is clear, it can be missed at speed. Without toughened or laminated safety glass, an impact could cause serious injury. Part K expects doors to resist impact and break safely if damaged.

Side panels next to doors

Glazed side panels often sit flush with doors and frames. They can look like part of the opening, especially when doors are open. People may walk straight into them. Safety glazing and clear manifestation reduce that risk significantly.

Internal glass partitions in busy buildings

Schools, hospitals, and offices often use glass to divide spaces. Foot traffic is constant and unpredictable. Without markings, partitions blend into the background. Part K requires these areas to be clearly visible and impact resistant.

Glazing near stairs or ramps

Changes in level increase fall risk. If glazing sits close to stairs or ramps, a fall could carry straight into it. Safety glass and correct positioning help manage that risk and reduce injury severity.

Energy performance

Volume 2 of The Approved Document L deals with conservation of fuel and power. For commercial shopfronts, any new or replacement glazing must satisfy minimum thermal performance.

Accessibility, fire and security

Under the Equality Act you need to address easy accessibility for disabled people under and possibly fire or security requirements under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 or local planning rules. Fire safety requirements limit the spread of fire and smoke and ensure adequate means of escape.

Local authority and insurance implications

Many local authorities will check that replacement shopfront glazing complies with the regulations. Insurance companies will usually ask for certified safety glazing.

It’s your responsibility to ensure your glazing is safe, certified, installed by professionals and that you have all the relevant documentation should you need to prove it was fitted properly.

Safety Glazing Requirements

When glazing is situated in what the regulations call “critical locations”, it must either resist breakage, shatter safely or be protected.

Critical locations include:

• Panels in doors or side panels up to 1,500 mm above the floor
• Glazing adjacent to doors (within 300 mm horizontally) and up to 1,500 mm high
• Low‐level glazing (panes partly or wholly within 800 mm of floor level)

In those locations you should use toughened (tempered) glass or laminated glass. Toughened glass fractures into small granular pieces. Laminated glass holds the fragments together if it’s broken.

Glass in critical locations must be visibly labelled with the relevant British Standard marks (for example BS 6206 or EN 12600).

For a shop front that means large-glazed display panels, entrance doors and side panels will almost always need safety glazing. You should only consider toughened or laminated glass in such areas.

Glazing for Fire Safety Requirements

Fire safety for shop glazing is governed by the Building Regulations' Approved Document B. It’s designed to reduce the spread of fire and smoke and ensure adequate means of escape.

UK glazing regulations require safety glass in higher risk areas. This includes low level safety glazing below 800mm from the floor and glazing below 1500mm and within 300mm of a door edge. The aim is to reduce injury if someone walks into the glass.

Fire safety glazing follows different rules under Part B. Glass used in fire resisting walls, doors, and partitions must be fire rated.

These control how long fire, smoke, and heat are held back.

Testing follows standards such as BS EN 1363 and BS EN 1634.Integrity (E) ratings measure your glazing’s ability to prevent flames and hot gases from passing through for a specified time (for example, E60 for 60 minutes). Insulation (I) is the ability to limit the temperature rise on the unexposed side (for example, EI60 provides both integrity and insulation for 60 minutes).

Glass, frame, seals, and fixings must work together and each part must match the required fire rating. Only certified fire-resistant glass should be used in a fire-rated system, which includes the frame, seals, beads and fixings, so that the whole window meets the required standards.

Windows designated as emergency escape routes must have an unobstructed clear opening of at least 0.33m², with minimum dimensions of 450mm for both width and height, and be easily openable without a key.

Thermal Performance & Efficiency

While display and access are priorities in a shopfront, you also have to consider thermal performance. Approved Document L sets out minimum U-values and insulation standards for new glazing.

Better insulation or low-emissivity coatings can help reduce heat loss and lower your energy bills, and some modern laminated safety glass also includes thermal or acoustic benefits.

Accessibility, Visibility & Manifestation

Large glass panels in shopfronts need to be visible to people, especially those with visual impairment. That means your glazing should incorporate manifestation, for example, vinyl strips or signs, at set heights so people recognise the glass.

Entrances must allow easy access and clear width for accessibility standards. Glass doors and side panels must function properly and safely.

For example:

Step-Free Access: Glazed entrances should sit flush with the floor. This allows easy access for wheelchairs, mobility aids, and prams

Automated Doors: Glass doors work best with automatic opening systems. Sliding or swing options remove the need for pushing or pulling.

Visibility Markings (Manifestation): Clear glass in doors and large screens needs visible markings. This helps prevent collisions, especially for people with visual impairments.

Security, Structural & Load Considerations

Your shopfront glazing needs to be durable too. Ground-floor glazing is particularly vulnerable to impact, weather or attempted forced entry. Laminated glass performs strongly in this role.

Wind loads, size of glass panes and structural support frames can all affect the performance and compliance of the glazing.

Able Group glaziers will assess all these conditions and provide the correct advice of the best product.

We also offer a 24/7 boarding up service should your shopfront glazing get damaged.

Planning Permission, Listed Buildings & Retrospective Work

If you modify a shopfront, especially in a conservation area or a listed building, you should check for planning permission or listed building consent. The glazing itself may be compliant, but the frame design, signage or heritage treatment may need extra approval.

With glazed units in an older building, keep in mind that past installation may not meet current standards. You might need to upgrade to bring the glazing into compliance.

How Do Glaziers Repair or Replace Commercial Glass?

A competent glazier will follow a structured sequence when working on commercial shopfront glazing. At Able Group, our glaziers take the following steps:

Step one: Initial inspection

On site, your glazier checks access, glass type, condition of frames and fixings, structural integrity and compliance status.

Step two: Risk assessment

They’ll assess hazards associated with working at ground level or above, pedestrian access, removal and disposal of glass, traffic or security considerations.

Step three: Glass preparation and handling

We’ll then select the glass that is suitable – whether toughened or laminated. The glass is transported to the site and stored safely to avoid breakage.

Step four: Frame and fixings check

We’ll examine existing frames, fixings, seals, gaskets and check movement joints.

Step five: Glass installation

The new glass is installed into the frame, correctly positioned and sealed. Manifestation and finishes are added, where required. We’ll also ensure the glass is marked and certified. Finally we check everything is as it should be.

Aftercare and record keeping

You as the building owner should make sure you have easy access to the records, arrange inspections and address any damage or wear quickly to keep your glazing safe and compliant.

Final Thoughts: Why is it important to hire a certified glazier?

Having compliant, safe and well-specified glazing in your shopfront is not optional if you want to protect yourself. You must meet the glazing regulations, so choose reputable contractors who supply the proper documentation.

At Able, our glaziers install shop front glass, replace double glazing and have a professional boarding up service. We’re here 24/7 and have glaziers near you. Call us today!