Ont. to change building code to make highrise glass safer
Posted June 21, 2012 11:34 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
TORONTO, Ont. – The Ontario government announced, Thursday, changes to the building code to stop glass from falling from highrises, but it only applies to new construction.
Municipal Affairs and Housing Minister Kathleen Wynne held a news conference mid-morning at Polson Pier.
As of July 1, construction companies will now be required to use:
- Heat-strengthened laminated glass when glass is close to the edge of a balcony. This is the same type of glass used in windshields and is less prone to shatter.
- Heat-strengthened laminated glass or heat-soaked tempered glass where glass balcony guards are inset from the edge of the balcony.
These requirements were based on recommendations in the Expert Advisory Panel on Glass Panels in Balcony Guards.
“I’m confident that this process has led to amendments that will enhance public safety, and help reduce the likelihood of glass balcony guards breaking,” Wynne said.
But she added that the changes to the type of glass that can be used is a preliminary step.
“There is more research that needs to be done because the reality is, we haven’t been using glass for balconies for a hundred years. We need more research on exactly how high the standard should be,” Wynne explained.
The province said these are intended as an interim solution, while the “Canadian Standards Association develops a national technical standard for glass panels in balcony guards.”
The change applies on a go-forward basis, and it doesn’t require existing buildings to retrofit to the new equipment.
“The reality is that if a permit has already been issued, they don’t have to abide by the new amendment in the building code,” Wynne said.
As for existing buildings, Wynne said the City of Toronto has the power to order any repairs, so if a resident has a problem, he or she should contact the city.
There have been a number of incidents of falling glass in Toronto. Last week, glass fell from a condominium on Simcoe Street near Richmond Street, smashing onto two cars.
On May 29, glass fell from the two outer window panes of the 30th or 31st floor of the RBC Centre at Wellington St. W. and Simcoe Street. Also, on March 24, glass fell from a top floor of the Trump International Hotel and Tower on Bay Street.