What AS 1288 covers
AS 1288 Glass in buildings — Selection and installation is the Australian Standard for choosing and installing glass. The current edition is AS 1288:2021, the fifth edition, which replaced AS 1288‑2006 in June 2021. It covers glass for wind loading, human impact and special uses such as overhead glazing and barriers.
The National Construction Code (NCC) brings it in. For Class 2 to 9 buildings, NCC Volume One references AS 1288. For houses, NCC Volume Two lets you use AS 1288 for glass selection and safety glazing (or AS 2047 for windows), and the ABCB Housing Provisions set out deemed-to-satisfy rules in Part 8: windows (8.2), glass sizing and installation (8.3) and human impact (8.4).
Where Grade A safety glazing is needed in houses
Part 8.4 of the ABCB Housing Provisions (Glazing — human impact) sets out the locations where people are most likely to walk into glass. In plain terms:
- Doors — Grade A safety glazing. Unframed doors need toughened glass at least 10 mm thick.
- Door side panels — framed glass less than 300 mm from the nearest edge of the doorway opening must be Grade A, with limited exceptions for annealed glass based on a sight-line test.
- Low-level glazing — where the lowest sight line is less than 500 mm above the highest abutting finished floor, use Grade A safety glazing, or annealed glass at least 5 mm thick up to 1.2 m².
- Bathrooms, ensuites and shower screens — all glazing less than 2.0 m above the highest abutting finished level must be Grade A safety glazing.
Grade A safety glass is toughened or laminated glass. Commercial buildings follow AS 1288 itself through NCC Volume One, which has its own detail — read the standard for those jobs.
Marking: prove what went in
Safety glass has to be permanently marked — etched, or with a label that cannot be reused once removed — showing the standard, the manufacturer, the grade, the thickness and the type. AS/NZS 2208 is the standard for safety glazing materials. On a replacement job, the mark on the glass coming out is also a quick check of what was there before.
A simple routine that avoids the expensive mistake
- At the survey, note where each opening is: in a door, beside a door, low down, or in a wet area. A photo of each opening makes it obvious later.
- When you quote, put the glass type and grade on the line — "6.38 mm laminated Grade A", not just "clear".
- When you order, make sure the purchase order carries the same description, so the supplier makes what you quoted.
- On the day, check the mark on the glass before it goes in.
Where Coglass fits
Coglass does not check your glass against AS 1288 for you — that stays with you and the standard. What it does is keep the specification consistent from survey to fitting:
- Surveys on the phone. Each opening is measured, drawn and photographed, with notes, GPS and the access level — and it works with no signal, syncing when you are back in coverage.
- The glass written down once. The product and make-up you pick on the line goes on the quote, the supplier's purchase order and the workshop's cutting sheet, so everyone works from the same specification.
- Paperwork on the job. Keep certificates, product sheets and photos in the job's Documents tab, next to the quote and invoice.
Want to see it on your own jobs? Book a demo or see pricing in AUD.
Sources
- Standards Australia — AS 1288:2021 published
- ABCB — Housing Provisions Part 8.4, Glazing: human impact (NCC 2022)
- ABCB — NCC Volume One referenced documents
This page explains the rules in general terms. Standards and tax rules change, and how they apply depends on the job — check the source, your building control body or your accountant before relying on it.