Got glass coffee tables?

[giza]

If so, the watchdogs at Consumer Reports would like to remind you that they can pose a serious safety hazard. This is because there is no requirement that glass tables be made from tempered glass--the kind that breaks into many small shards when broken. Untempered glass breaks into very large, jagged shards, which can literally impale people and cause them to bleed out in a matter of minutes. This leads to about 20,000 emergency room visits each year.

The story linked to above also contains a video showing what happens when untempered glass breaks, and it ain't pretty.



Jeez, look at the size of that thing!

Comments

[kitsunefoxman.livejournal.com]

And I thought the video would be the episode of Seinfeld when Kramer made a table from a windshield and that happened.

[kinkyturtle.livejournal.com]

A windshield would be made of tempered glass, wouldn't it?

And... wouldn't it also be curved a bit? How did Kramer deal with that?

[giza.livejournal.com]

How drunk do I have to get you at the next con to hear these stories? :-)

[dracohellskahra.livejournal.com]

Oh dear god... I knew they were kinda a hazard.. but wow

I know I wouldn't want a shard that big anywhere near my rear.

[gen-talon.livejournal.com]

Well folks need to stop sitting on glass tables..and..putting their feet up on it!

But..yeah..shards of glass are not fun..

[neillparatzo.livejournal.com]

I remember seeing a Jackass-wannabe video on YouTube where a guy smashes through, what I'm guessing, was untempered glass. He gets some pretty horrifying gashes. It's not pretty.

[nachtfuchs.livejournal.com]

Your country has strange problems............

[gravecat.livejournal.com]

Wow... shit, man. I was actually planning on getting a glass coffee table when I move into the new apartment, but now I guess I'll make damn sure I find one that's tempered. Two thumbs up for the warning! :3

[mapdark.livejournal.com]

Ok .. the guy SAT ON A GLASS COFFEE TABLE?!


As much as I think untempered glass is stupid , that guy kinda deserved it!

[giza.livejournal.com]

I'm all for punishing stupidity, but I think small cuts from tempered glass will teach him the same lesson, without severing an artery in the process. :-P

[thraxarious.livejournal.com]

On many instances I would agree, though there is a difference. A product that fails or breaks should not cause massive horrible bleeding death.

Why any furniture company uses untempered glass at all is just crazy, probably because of cost and just "because they can", no accountability. :P

It does baffle me that people would SIT on such a thing.

[ex-purpleca.livejournal.com]

I was under the mistaken assumption that my glass desk used tempered glass. I was surprised (but lucky!) when a .. er, 'rapidly misplaced' heavy object landed in just the right way and turned it into so many JAGGED DAGGERS instead of nice little cubes... while I was sitting right under the piece that shattered.

I'm debating getting replacement (tempered) glass for it, or just chucking it and getting a real desk.

[yakko.livejournal.com]

I found this out the hard way. A glass table top broke into maybe 8 really BIG pieces when I sat on it. I attribute it to being a kid at the time. O:o)

[wagtehdog.livejournal.com]

They used to make us watch stuff like that on Rescue 911 in health class in school, stuff about kids leaning on screen doors and impaling themselves. o_O

[coyoteden.livejournal.com]

Here's what I got from the video:

- If your coffee table shatters under you, and you get a gigantic shard of glass in your leg, DON'T PULL IT OUT. That's why you're now bleeding to death.

- If you're shopping for a glass coffee table, even if the coffee table says it's "Tempered Glass", drop a heavy object through the display model just to be sure.

- Glass coffee tables will never look good in your home, unless you're prepared to Windex them twice a day. Otherwise, they will show all the dust and finger/foot/ass-prints other materials don't. (Mine is made out of tiles. Don't even need coasters!)

Wow...

[graysoul.livejournal.com]

Erk... nasty.
On the other hand, if there weren't untempered glass tabletops, where else could I get a four foot Wimshurst disc from? 'Cause you have to drill the center hole...
-GraySoul