Frameless Shower Door Safety

Contact the Consumer Product Safety Commission

• Check with the Consumer Product Safety Commission, or CPSC, to discover any complaints it has on file regarding incidents involving frameless shower doors. These complaints are registered and tracked by the agency. You also can find out whether the door you’re thinking of buying – or the shower door company -- has ever been the subject of a product recall. Obtain additional information and statistics relating to frameless shower products via the CPSC’s National Electronic Injury Surveillance System.

Learn About Glass Tempering

• When shower door glass is tempered, its tensile strength – the bond that results when glass is heated during the manufacturing process – changes the strength of the material. If you hit the tempered shower door in the middle with your hand or an object, there’s only a small chance it will shatter from the blow. However, because the tempering process leaves the sides of the glass door vulnerable, there’s a greater chance that the same blow can cause a break if you strike the shower door on the side.

Conduct Periodic Shower Inspections

• Make it a practice to examine the edges of your frameless shower door regularly. Look for fissures, small fractures and cracks in the glass. Even a tiny chip can undermine the shower door's integrity. Like car window blemishes that morph into sprawling cracks, shower door cracks can start a chain reaction of further damage. Keep an eye on door hardware, too. Rubber stoppers and channels that keep sliding frameless doors on track can be compromised if they come in contact with obstructions. Issue parental warnings to kids and cleaning staff about the dangers that can result from slamming or banging frameless glass shower doors.

Consider the Shower User(s)

• Shattered tempered glass isn’t the only safety concern if you opt for a frameless shower door. Injuries resulting from falling into doors also pose a serious hazard, especially for frail people who can slip and fall into the door. For this reason, Donald Mays, senior director of Product Safety and Technical Policy for Consumers Union, advises keeping glass shower doors out of the homes of the elderly. If a frameless shower door is frosted rather than transparent, it’s more vulnerable to shattering and breaking, so if you have a choice between the two, you may opt for the transparent door if safety is a concern.

Maintain a Safe Environment

• Always keep a thick towel within reach when your shower has a frameless door so the towel can be thrown on the floor and over broken or shattered glass immediately to establish a safe exit route. Regularly check hinges so they stay secure, and replace seals if they start to disintegrate. Avoid installing a “safety bar” anywhere on a frameless shower door. A single person putting his full weight on the attachment may fracture the entire door.