Originally Posted by
Richard Stanley
IRC 308.4.7 Applicable (2406.4.7 UBC)
From the 2006 IRC. (underlining is mine)
- R308.4 Hazardous locations.
The following shall be considered specific hazardous locations for the purposes of glazing:
- - 7. Glazing in an individual fixed or operable panel, other than those locations described in Items 5 and 6 above, that meets all of the following conditions:
- - - 7.1. Exposed area of an individual pane larger than 9 square feet (0.836 m2).
- - - 7.2. Bottom edge less than 18 inches (457 mm) above the floor.
- - - 7.3. Top edge more than 36 inches (914 mm) above the floor.
- - - 7.4. One or more walking surfaces within 36 inches (914 mm) horizontally of the glazing.
That leaves out a lot of windows.
I've always had a feeling that those windows should not only be tempered, but should also be laminated impact resistant glass.
Face it, there really is not a lot of difference in falling through a non-tempered window and a tempered window from 30 feet up, other than the size of the glass pieces you will be landing on.
Laminated impact resistant glass will at least stay in the frame when you fall against it hard enough to break it. Keeping you up there where you were.