DfE Glazing Guidance
Are you aware of the requirements to check your windows?
Facility managers may be surprised to learn that in the Compliance Tracker linked to the Good Estate Management for Schools, it is a statutory requirement that glazing should be inspected weekly. Handsam contacted the DfE for clarity on this stipulation.
Frequency of Inspection
In our first communication with the DfE, Handsam asked:
"How frequently should glazing be inspected in schools to be GEMS compliant?"
We received this reply:
"The weekly inspection should be visual, and every individual pane of glass should be inspected for damage."
Statutes and Laws
Handsam responded with:
"We asked previously regarding how frequently glazing should be inspected in schools to be GEMS compliant. We received this reply: "The weekly inspection should be visual, and every individual pane of glass should be inspected for damage." Can you please confirm which law, statute or regulation requires this – or is this just a DfE recommendation?"
We received this reply:
"The weekly inspection is industry best practice and should form part of any premises risk assessment as it would cover not only cracked/broken panes, but any need for safety glazing or filming to protect against impact. Under workplace regulations, as part of managing health and safety in the workplace, potential risk to building users must be considered and a responsible body should consider if it is doing enough to prevent harm and that the duty of care must be satisfied."
The DfE did not state which laws, statutes or regulations apply to this inspection in their response.
Best Practice
Handsam responded with:
"What constitutes a weekly glazing inspection, please? There are few schools, if any who would do a regular, dedicated weekly glazing inspection."
We received this reply:
"The weekly inspection should be visual and every individual pane of glass should be inspected for damage. This should form part of the normal weekly health & safety walk round inspection."
How does this affect schools?
Although the DfE have stipulated that; "The weekly inspection should be visual and every individual pane of glass should be inspected for damage. This should form part of the normal weekly health & safety walk round inspection" they gave Handsam no real guidelines on what constitutes a "visual inspection." This could be as straightforward as a cursory glance on a regular walk round.
Compliance
Handsam are currently rewriting all it's guidance on glazing to reflect this requirement. Unfortunately, at the time of writing we cannot ascertain which laws, statutes or regulations apply to this, but we will contact the DfE again to clarify this point.
This does mean however, that in order to remain compliant, facilities managers may need to inspect glazing more thoroughly that perhaps they would expect to. "The weekly inspection should be visual, and every individual pane of glass should be inspected for damage," may be a lengthy and onerous task.