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AS/NZS 2208 (safety glazing): Grade A and Grade B test classification

AS/NZS 2208 is the test standard for safety glazing materials in Australian buildings. Defines Grade A (toughened, laminated) and Grade B (wired) impact-test results.

By Dan Waring. Last updated 16 May 2026. Verified 16 May 2026.

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In plain English

AS/NZS 2208:1996, Safety glazing materials in buildings, is the joint Australia/New Zealand product standard that defines how glass is tested for safety performance and classifies it as Grade A, Grade B, or non-safety. It is the product spec half; AS 1288:2021 (Glass in buildings) is the selection and installation half that says where each grade is required. The two are read together (verified 2026-05-16).

A glass that is “safety glass” in conversation has actually passed one of the AS/NZS 2208 tests:

  • Grade A: passes the higher-energy impact test without producing dangerous shards. Achieved by toughened (tempered) glass and laminated glass of the appropriate thickness. The strict safety-glass category used in human impact zones.
  • Grade B: passes a lower-energy impact test. Historically achieved by wired glass (now rare on residential), some specific laminates, and certain mesh-reinforced products. Permitted only in a narrow set of locations under AS 1288.

Glass that doesn’t pass either test (annealed/float glass) is not safety glass and cannot be used in any AS 1288-defined safety location.

What it requires

For the glass manufacturer:

  1. Impact test under AS/NZS 2208 Method. A 45 kg leather-and-shot-filled bag is dropped at increasing heights onto the glass sample; the glass either breaks safely (small dice or laminated retention) or fails the test.
  2. Grade classification based on the height at which the glass passes:
    • Higher drop height (longer travel, more energy) without breakage or with safe-breakage pattern = Grade A.
    • Moderate drop height with safe-breakage pattern = Grade B.
    • Glass that produces shards or fails the breakage criterion = not safety glass.
  3. Marking on the glass. Each pane of compliant safety glass carries an etched or printed mark with the AS/NZS 2208 reference, the grade (A or B), the manufacturer, and the year. Without the mark, the certifier cannot accept the pane as compliant.
  4. Certificate of compliance available from the supplier on request.

What it doesn’t cover

  • Glass selection rules. That sits in AS 1288:2021: which locations need Grade A, which can use Grade B, what thickness is needed for the wind load.
  • Fire-rated glazing. Fire-rated glass tested to AS 1530 series for fire resistance; AS/NZS 2208 is for human-impact safety, not fire.
  • Glazing for hurricane and cyclone resistance. Separate testing standards (AS 4040 series and product-specific cyclone classifications) cover wind-debris impact.
  • Acoustic-rated glazing. Separate test (Rw rating per AS 1191).
  • Pool fence glass. AS 1926.1 (Safety barriers for swimming pools) calls up additional impact requirements beyond AS/NZS 2208.

Practical implications

  • Specify by grade plus thickness. “6.38 laminated to AS/NZS 2208 Grade A” tells the supplier exactly what to deliver. “Safety glass” alone allows substitution between toughened, laminated, and non-compliant products.
  • Toughened vs laminated for Grade A. Both qualify but behave differently in service:
    • Toughened: breaks into small uniform dice; the entire pane disintegrates on impact. Good safety outcome but no residual containment.
    • Laminated: breaks but the PVB interlayer holds the shards in place. The pane stays mostly intact after impact. Required where the glass must contain water or maintain a barrier (balustrades, shower screens).
  • Imported glass without the AS/NZS 2208 mark is non-compliant. Even “tempered glass” from offshore supply that isn’t tested to AS/NZS 2208 cannot be used in a safety location. The certifier checks the mark, not the product description.
  • Reno-trigger compliance. Replacing or relocating glass in a renovation triggers current AS/NZS 2208 / AS 1288 compliance even if the original was compliant under the rules of its era.
  • Repair vs replace. A cracked safety-glass pane cannot be patched; it must be replaced with a new pane that itself is AS/NZS 2208 marked.

References

See also

Last updated: 2026-05-16. Verified: 2026-05-16. Quarterly review for currency.

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