The ballistic glass definition, in a nutshell, is bulletproof glass. It’s not actually, glass. The types of ballistic glass include bulletproof acrylic, laminated polycarbonate and glass clad polycarbonate. Each of the three types has eight levels of protection. It’s easy to go overkill and get out of your price range, so contacting a ballistic glass company like Kontek is important as they will help you decide the best type and level of protection for your needs.
Ballistic glass examples that you might see every day include the glass at the convenience store or the bank. Generally, you’ll find Level 1 in convenience stores and Level 2 in banks. Ballistic glass levels go from 1 through 8 with 8 offering the most protection. Level 1 protects you from small caliber handguns while Level 2 can handle larger caliber handguns. Other ballistic glass levels include:
-
Level 3 for larger buildings such as schools, government facilities and police stations. Level 3 ballistic glass is used when the threat level is higher and the business has more employees or others going in and out of the building.
-
Levels 4 through 8 are all capable of stopping a bullet from automatic rifles and assault rifles. The materials used to make these levels are very expensive, thus these are usually made to order and used in government buildings including overseas embassies.
The higher the level, the thicker the glass. For Level 1, the glass is 1.25 inches thick while it’s 1.375 inches thick for Level 2. Level 8 is 2.5 inches thick.
Importance of Ballistic Glass
Ballistic glass is an important part of safety in many types of businesses, including but not limited to banks, ticket booths, retail establishments, financial institutions, police stations, schools, government facilities, military bases, embassies and other government buildings.
The framing and the way you set up the glass is as important as the glass. After all, it makes no sense to have the glass when a bullet can rip through the frame and do just as much damage to the people behind the glass.
Who Uses Ballistic Glass?
You might be thinking about using ballistic glass, but are not sure whether you need it. If you deal with the public on a daily basis, you probably need ballistic glass. For example, a workforce agency sees many people every day. People are in and out of the business to sign up for work or pick up paychecks. While you may not have a lot of money behind the counter, you do want protection for your employees from unknown temps.
Your convenience store may be in an upscale neighborhood, but that doesn’t stop a thief from coming in and trying to rob the place. In fact, your convenience store may be more of a target since thieves will think that you have more money in the store because of the affluent neighborhood. After all, more people with money live in the area, thus more people will be spending that money throughout the month.
Some businesses farm out their payroll. While these places generally do not have cash on hand since everything is done electronically or by check, thieves may believe payroll companies do have cash. It’s a good idea to have the receptionist behind bulletproof glass and have the back offices behind a locked door.
Pawn shops deal with people and money. And, some of those people could be irate. It’s a good idea to put all cashiers—those that accept goods and those who cash you out—behind ballistic glass. Using ballistic glass in some of these businesses—business no one would think of putting bulletproof glass because of the type of business or location—is something that management should think about in order to keep their employees safe.
Contact Kontek Industries for Infrastructure Solutions
If you are setting up a business that requires ballistic glass to keep your employees safe, contact Kontek Industries for your infrastructure solutions.
