Fabricating debris? Why a hot issue in the US?

Hey guys! I am from the UK. I hear a lot about fabricating debris can anybody bring me up to speed as to what this is about?

All I know is that a window cleaner called Dan Field scratched some glass, found out the problem was not his fault and helped another few hundred window cleaners in courts in challenging the same issue.

It would appear there are differences of opinion between the ‘Glass’ people and the IWCA who I think is probably took up the cause in some way in order to stick up for window cleaners.

Can anybody bring me up to speed and fill in the gaps.

Many thanks.

Lee

There are many threads regarding this subject in two subforums –

Fabricating Debris and Construction Cleaning

Check it out.

Great place for the story –

It doesn’t seem to be a big deal here in Canada(it least where I am) either. I do see fabrication debris occasionally and scratched glass from, the installers or a cleaner doing the initial clean but no one seems to be upset enough to care that much let alone sue.

Every now and then a piece of glass gets scratched if you scrape, just the way it is. We have waivers signed for post cons however we have never had a customer complain let alone threaten to sue. Scratched glass happens

In the 90s there was a huge housing boom that put big demand on for tempered glass. The fabricators slacked in their housekeeping procedures and garbage glass was the result. Once the boom was over they never cleaned up their act. Also the advent of low-e coatings and their inherent reaction to FD meant that the roller side of glass (the side where FD is deposited for the most part) was turned out on the insulated glass units and a defect we never had to deal w/ now became evident.

Thanks for replying Tony. Like Silver and Cityscape we do not really come across this in the UK. It would seem that it is a big deal in the US. Would that be because the ‘bad’ glass you described was isolated in some US states in the manner you have described?

There were a couple tempering companies that actually maintained good housekeeping procedures but the rest just figured it was the window cleaners problem. They have an association GANA (Glass Association of North America) that has urged them to stick together, ignore the defect, and blame any one but themselves.

Great info man, never even knew that

I alway’s learn something new on this site. thank you to all who share your knowledge.

That does not seem right somehow. Does the GANA openly promote ignoring the defects?

To think about it, the problem must be greater than I first thought for the IWCA to be invovled.

GANA has issued bulletins and encouraged the implementation of stickers saying no razors so they can continue to hide the defect. The IWCA isn’t as involved as they used to be.

3 suits when it first hit , Insurance took care of it. Including 6 pieces of glass costing $1200 ea… Feels like scraping paint and doesn’t stop the feeling sound. rub it with cloth it picks up the glass and scratches the glass. I had no idea what was happening till a year or so later.