Glazing (C-17) · Lesson 1 of 5

Safety Glazing: Is This Pane a Hazardous Location?

"Safety Glazing: Is This Pane a Hazardous Location?" is lesson 1 of 5 in the Glazing (C-17) Learning Hub. It opens with "What Safety Glazing Means and Who Marks It" and works through 5 short steps, then a worked example you can check yourself against.

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Steps in this lesson

  1. What Safety Glazing Means and Who Marks It
  2. The Four-Part Window Test (CBC 2406.4.3)
  3. Doors, Beside Doors, Wet Areas, Guards
  4. Know Which Code Applies: CBC or CRC
  5. Find the Area, Pick the Category, Protect the Glass

The worked example in the course applies this lesson to a realistic job in 6 steps, starting with "Choose the category".

What you'll be able to do

  • Explain the main idea of "Safety Glazing: Is This Pane a Hazardous Location?" in plain language you can use on the exam.
  • Apply this step with confidence: "Doors, Beside Doors, Wet Areas, Guards".
  • Apply this step with confidence: "Know Which Code Applies: CBC or CRC".
  • Apply this step with confidence: "Find the Area, Pick the Category, Protect the Glass".
  • Test yourself on the worked example and the quick-check quiz inside the classroom.
Safety Glazing: The Four-Part Window TestFIXED WINDOW42 in x 62 in18.1 sq ftFLOOR12 in62 inDeck (walking surface) 24 infrom the glassCBC 2406.4.3 TEST - all four must be true1. Exposed area over 9 sq ftTRUE42 x 62 = 2,604 sq in / 144 = 18.1 sq ft2. Bottom edge under 18 inTRUESill is 12 in above the floor3. Top edge over 36 inTRUE12 in + 62 in = 74 in above the floor4. Walking surface within 36 inTRUEDeck is 24 in from the glass planeTable 2406.2(1): over 9 sq ft = Category IIIf the sill were 24 in high, test 2 fails(24 is not under 18) and 2406.4.3 does notrequire safety glazing for this pane.All four true: SAFETY GLAZING REQUIRED (Category II)Tested to CPSC 16 CFR Part 1201 and permanently identified (CBC 2406.3)Source: 2025 California Building Code 2406.4.3, 2402.1, Table 2406.2(1)CC
The diagram for this lesson, exactly as it appears in the Learning Hub.

The first steps of this lesson

Step 1: What Safety Glazing Means and Who Marks It

The 2025 California Building Code (CBC) Section 2406.1 requires glazing in the hazardous locations of Section 2406.4 (including mirrors, single panes, laminated glass, and the panes of a multipane unit) to pass the impact test in Section 2406.2: CPSC 16 CFR Part 1201, Category II unless Table 2406.2(1) says otherwise. Each pane of safety glazing must carry a permanent designation (acid etched, sand blasted, ceramic fired, laser etched, or embossed, or a label) naming who applied it and the standard it meets (Section 2406.3). A replacement pane has to meet the same rules as new work (Section 2402.1), so a broken lite in a hazardous location is replaced with safety glazing.

Step 2: The Four-Part Window Test (CBC 2406.4.3)

An individual fixed or operable window pane is a hazardous location only if ALL four are true: the exposed area is greater than 9 sq ft, the bottom edge is less than 18 in above the floor or walking surface, the top edge is greater than 36 in above it, and a walking surface is within 36 in, measured horizontally in a straight line, of the glass plane. Fail any one test and 2406.4.3 does not apply. Exceptions: decorative glazing; a horizontal rail 34 to 38 in above the walking surface that withstands 50 lb per ft without touching the glass and is at least 1-1/2 in tall; and outboard panes of insulating units whose bottom edge is 8 ft or more above any adjacent grade or walking surface.

The remaining 3 steps, the worked example and the quiz are in the course. This is a preview. The full lesson, with the step-by-step explanations, a worked example and a quick-check quiz, is inside the classroom.

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