Safety Tips in Daily Life 9: Glass Furniture That Can Cause Injuries

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Glass furniture is increasingly favored by young people for its simplicity and beauty； But do we realize that glass furniture can pose a serious safety hazard if not used properly? Below are some related accidents found on the Internet, which I’d like to share with you: On November 20, 2011, the glass wall in the living room of Mr. Chen’s home in Binjiang District, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, suddenly shattered. His son, who was taking a bath in the bathroom, suffered cuts on his legs, arms, and face from the broken glass. The toilet, sink, and floor were all covered with shards of glass; it turned out that the tempered glass door had exploded ； On August 5, 2012, Mr. Chen, who lived in Changsha, Hunan, pushed open his door to find the floor covered in shiny pieces of glass. When he turned on the light, he saw that the tempered glass dining table in the restaurant had shattered, with tiny glass shards scattered all over the floor. On August 7, 2011, Mo Gang (a pseudonym), who lived in Yantian, Fenggang, Dongguan City, Guangdong Province, was cooking in the kitchen around 12:30 p.m.; there was a lot of smoke from the cooking, and the temperature inside the room was very high. At this moment, the midday sun was shining directly on the kitchen’s glass door. With a loud bang, the glass door of the kitchen suddenly exploded; shards of glass flew everywhere, knocking Mo Gang to the ground, and blood instantly stained the floor red. As is well known, glass is a fragile material, and its use on a large scale poses safety risks. The \"Regulations on the Use of Safety Glass in Construction\" implemented in our country since 2004 stipulate that during interior decoration, safety glass must be used in areas that are prone to being struck or impacted and thus causing injury to people, such as floor-to-ceiling windows, curtain walls, various types of ceilings (including skylights and daylight roofs), ceilings, partitions, floor panels used for pedestrian traffic, as well as shower partitions and bathroom doors in restrooms. When safety glass breaks, it turns into small particles with blunt edges, which are less likely to cause injury. It may also stick firmly to transparent adhesive materials, preventing it from scattering or falling, thereby minimizing any risk of harm to people. 　　However, the products available on the market are of mixed quality; some counterfeit and inferior glasses meet the thickness requirements but fall short in terms of manufacturing standards ； Due to price differences, many customers who order processed glass doors and glass partitions prefer float glass (a type of transparent, colorless flat glass), while safety glass tends to be neglected ； Furthermore, tempered glass has an inevitable 3% defect rate. The self-explosion rate, among other factors, poses serious risks associated with the use of glass in home decoration. According to statistics from consumer associations, in recent years there has been an increasing number of complaints related to the shattering of tempered glass products. However, since it is difficult to determine the exact cause of the glass breaking, merchants often refuse to take responsibility by citing reasons such as \"improper use\" or \"the warranty period having expired\", making it hard for consumers to assert their rights. 　　　Experts advise us to: Avoid using large areas of glass as much as possible; if its use is necessary, opt for safety glass. However, improper installation, incorrect use, and uneven heating can all cause the glass to crack. 　　First, purchase qualified products that bear the manufacturer’s name, address, and 3C quality certification ； When making a purchase, pay attention to the edges of the tempered glass; glass with smooth and intact edges is of better quality, so avoid buying products with cracked edges ； You can also tap on the glass to listen to the sound; tempered glass produces a clearer sound, while ordinary glass gives a muffled sound ； Homogenized tempered glass is available for purchase; homogenization reduces the self-explosion rate of tempered glass. 　　Secondly, hire a professional to carry out the installation; during the process, avoid knocking against the glass, and pay special attention to protecting the edges and corners. After installing the glass products, an explosion-proof film can be applied to the surface of the glass to prevent glass shards from flying and causing injury. 　　 　　Finally, precautions during use: 1. Place items steadily; heavy objects should be placed at the bottom of furniture to prevent it from toppling over due to an unbalanced center of gravity; 2. Glass surfaces must not be subjected to direct impacts from heavy objects, as such forceful impacts can cause the glass to break. 3. Do not push or pull hard objects on the countertop, as they can scratch the glass. 4. Teach children not to play near the sharp edges of furniture, glass, or metal parts, to prevent accidental injuries. 5. Products that combine metal and glass should be lifted as a whole when moved; they must not be pushed as a unit, nor should one side of them be lifted to push or drag the product, to avoid deformation or loosening of the metal parts, as well as to prevent the glass from breaking or the steel top from coming off. 6. It is not allowed to use the product as a support platform on which to stand while performing work at heights ； 7. To avoid external impacts, window decorations or warning signs can be attached to large glass surfaces to remind family members to be careful ； Protect the edges of tempered glass to prevent damage from sharp objects ； Do not use steel wool, scrubbers, or similar tools to clean glass frequently, as this can cause minor scratches on the tempered glass and damage its stress layer, thereby reducing the glass’s impact resistance ；