flying glass

{{Short description|Pieces of broken glass that become sharp projectiles}}

Flying glass refers to pieces of broken glass (typically from a window) which become sharp missiles projected by the force which broke the glass, along with any strain energy due to tempering. They often cause cut-type injuries.

Flying glass resulting from an explosion poses a significant risk in the event; up to 85% of injuries from an explosion are due to flying glass.{{cite book|last1=Mazzolani|first1=Federico M.|title=Urban Habitat Constructions Under Catastrophic Events: Proceedings of the COST C26 Action Final Conference|date=2010|publisher=CRC Press|isbn=9780203833636|pages=133–139|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Q9XKBQAAQBAJ&q=%22Flying+glass%22&pg=PA134|access-date=25 September 2017|language=en}}

Severity of injury from flying glass depends on the peak overpressure of the blast.{{cite book|last1=Petty|first1=Stephen E.|title=Forensic Engineering: Damage Assessments for Residential and Commercial Structures|date=2013|publisher=CRC Press|isbn=9781439899724|page=688|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LSj5MA8jwFgC&q=%22Flying+glass%22&pg=PA688|access-date=25 September 2017|language=en}} Potential for injury has been derived from both experiments and theoretical modeling of blast effects. Among the important features in models of flying glass are breaking pressure, velocity and distribution of flying fragments, fragment shape, and the distance traveled until impact.{{cite book|last1=Lees|first1=Frank|title=Lees' Loss Prevention in the Process Industries: Hazard Identification, Assessment and Control|date=2005|publisher=Butterworth-Heinemann|isbn=9780080489339|pages=17/233–17/243|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=hUJl_m7lGRQC&q=%22Flying+glass%22&pg=SA17-PA233|access-date=25 September 2017|language=en}} Mitigation strategies, such as the use of window glazing{{cite journal|last1=Hossein|first1=Ataei|last2=Anderson|first2=James C.|title=Mitigating the Injuries from Flying Glass Due to Air Blast|journal=Forensic Engineering 2012|pages=133–142|doi=10.1061/9780784412640.015|year=2012|isbn=9780784412640}} or laminated glass{{cite journal|last1=Hooper|first1=P. A.|last2=Sukhram|first2=R. A. M.|last3=Blackman|first3=B. R. K.|last4=Dear|first4=J. P.|title=On the blast resistance of laminated glass|journal=International Journal of Solids and Structures|date=15 March 2012|volume=49|issue=6|pages=899–918|doi=10.1016/j.ijsolstr.2011.12.008|doi-access=free|hdl=10044/1/13982|hdl-access=free}} can reduce flying glass injuries.