Anti-Ligature, Tamper-proof, and Impact Resistant

Jul 21, 2022

When we say “Experience Daylight Anywhere”, we mean it. If you are reading this, you are likely interested in learning more about how LIGHTGLASS can bring the experience of daylight into specialty environments, such as prisons or behavioral health facilities. Safety is our top priority, so we have designed our Anti-Ligature products in accordance with the New York State Office of Mental Health guidelines.

ANTI-LIGATURE & TAMPER PROOF

In order to ensure that LIGHTGLASS would meet the strict anti-ligature guidelines from the NYSOMH, we first evaluated the risk areas of our standard products. The first risk area we identified was the removable aluminum faceplates, used to access the mounting hardware and electrical components from the face of the product. While these removable faceplates make it easy to install and maintain the product, they would need to be secured to the product to prevent any patient safety risks. To address this challenge, we use an aluminum trim kit and tamper-proof screws to lock the faceplates into the main body of the LIGHTGLASS. The trim kit is made from ½”x ½” aluminum 6063 bar stock, with pre-drilled holes for the tamper-proof screws. The trim kit is secured to the framed opening surrounding the LIGHTGLASS, and blocks the faceplate from being removed. The tamper-proof screws can only be removed with a special tool. If the trim kit is not acceptable for your application, it is also acceptable to drive the tamper-proof screws directly through the faceplate into the LIGHTGLASS screw channel to secure the faceplate. 

IMPACT RESISTANCE

The next risk area we identified is the glass. Even though our standard product utilizes ¼” laminated safety glass that is unable to shatter into small pieces, it still would not meet the impact resistance standards outlined by the NYSOMH. For our anti-ligature products, we replace the laminated safety glass with ¼” polycarbonate. This meets the impact resistance standards required, and also provides a number of other benefits. Polycarbonate has a higher transmittance, allowing more light to be delivered into the space with the same amount of energy used. It is also much lighter than glass, decreasing the shipping costs. Finally, it is easier to cut to size, making our lives a bit easier at the factory. 

INSTALLATION

We will take care of assembling the prefabricated anti-ligature LIGHTGLASS units with polycarbonate instead of glass, and ship it to the construction site with all of the necessary tamper-proof screws and trim kit. However, it is important that the contractors installing the units carefully follow our installation instructions to ensure the proper placement of the trim kit in front of the faceplates, and the tamper-proof  screws into the faceplate.  

LIGHTGLASS is not a light fixture, it is an illuminated glazing system that accurately simulates windows and skylights. Our mission is to improve people’s quality of life in the built environment, and we hope you will join us on this journey. If you have any questions or comments, please reach out to us at sales@lightglasslighting.com