Skylights are a great way to bring natural light into a school, creating a bright, healthy and inviting learning environment for students. However, skylights can also pose a significant danger when it comes to the risk of falling.

Its well known that falls from height are the leading cause of death and injury in the construction industry. While schools may not be considered a construction site, skylights pose a serious fall hazard to students who may accidentally or intentionally access the roof. Often the skylight is simply not seen or it may not appear to be a hazard as the glazing offers a false sense of security. Most skylights and roof windows however are not designed to be loadbearing, meaning the manufacturer is not anticipating the full body weight striking or standing on their product. Even new double-glazed skylights that are made of tempered or laminated glass can shatter upon impact and may not prevent a fatal fall.

In order to prevent falls through skylights, it is important for schools to take appropriate safety measures. First and foremost, schools should do all they can to ensure that roof access is restricted to authorized personnel only, however this can be almost impossible in many cases. The simpler option is to make sure the skylight is fall proof. This may mean installing protective screens or grates over skylights to prevent people from falling through although this isn’t the most ascetically pleasing option. Considering a skylight specifically fitted with the correct glazing will provide high level of security while not making our schools look like prisons.

Adlux recommends using a structural laminate safety glass such as “SentryGlas” to provide the best post breakage performance. While this structural laminate does not prevent glass breakage it is 100 times stronger and 5 times stiffer than traditional laminates. When bonded to the frame, the strength of this interlayer ensures that glass stays in place and will prevent any accidental fall through.

In conclusion, while we know skylights provide many benefits to schools, careful specification is required to mitigate the significant risk they also pose. By considering appropriate safety measures for new and existing buildings, schools can prevent falls through skylights and ensure the safety of their students and contractors.

Doing nothing is not an option. The risk exposure of falling through a skylight opening is SIGNIFICANT. The actual number of fatalities attributed to skylights on schools may be comparatively MINIMAL, BUT…every fall fatality is AVOIDABLE