Safety indicator bands are opaque strips applied to large glass panels and frameless glass doors so people can see the glass is there and do not walk into it. In Australia the widely applied specification is a band 75mm wide, positioned at roughly eye level and providing clear contrast against whatever sits behind the glass. We stock them in six colours at $33 per unit.

They are one of the least glamorous products we sell and one of the most frequently required. Here is what you need to know before ordering.

Why they exist

Modern buildings use a lot of large, clear, frameless glass. Full height shopfronts, glazed office partitions, frameless entry doors, glass balustrades and glazed walkways.

Clear glass in these positions has one obvious hazard: it can read as an open doorway. People walk into it. In an office it is embarrassing. At speed, into an unmarked frameless door, it causes real injury, and if the glass is annealed rather than safety grade it causes very serious injury.

Indicator bands solve this by making the glass legible. A band at eye height tells the brain there is a surface there before the body finds out.

This is a separate issue from the impact grade of the glass. AS 1288 human impact provisions determine what grade of glass has to be used in a given location. Visibility marking is about making sure people do not hit it in the first place. You often need both, and getting one right does not excuse the other. Our AS 1288 safety film guide covers the impact grade side.

Where bands are typically required

•     Frameless glass entry doors, particularly automatic sliding doors and pivot doors

•     Fully glazed sidelights and panels adjacent to doors, where the panel could be mistaken for the opening

•     Full height glazed office partitions and meeting room walls

•     Glazed walkways and link corridors

•     Shopfront glazing where the glass runs to the floor with no visible frame or transom

•     Schools, childcare, aged care and healthcare settings, where the consequences of a collision are more serious and auditing is more frequent

If you can look at a panel of glass and genuinely imagine someone walking toward it expecting to pass through, it needs marking.

The 75mm specification

The commonly applied standard in Australia is a band 75mm wide. That width exists because it is large enough to register in peripheral vision at walking speed. A narrow decal or a small etched logo does not.

Three things matter beyond the width.

Height. The band should sit at a height where it falls naturally in the field of view of an approaching adult. Common practice places bands around eye level, and in many settings two bands are used at different heights so the marking is visible to both adults and children. In schools and childcare, a lower band is important, because a marking set purely at adult eye height is invisible to a running five year old.

Contrast. This is the requirement people most often get wrong. The band has to contrast with what is behind the glass, not with the glass itself. A white band against a white internal wall is functionally invisible. A dark band against a bright, sunlit exterior can also disappear into glare. Look through the glass from the approach direction, see what is behind it, then pick a colour that stands out against that background.

Continuity. The band should run the full width of the panel. A band that stops short at each edge leaves the panel edges ambiguous.

Because requirements vary by building type, occupancy and how the glazing is used, confirm your specific application with your building surveyor or safety consultant. We supply and install to specification, we do not issue compliance determinations.

Choosing the colour

We stock six finishes at $33 per unit. Which one to use is a straightforward decision once you look at the background.

The dusted effect finish is popular in offices where the bands need to look like part of a considered design scheme rather than a bolted-on safety item. It reads as a frosted band rather than a solid colour.

Browse the full DIY glazing bands range.

Making them look intentional rather than added

The most common objection we hear from architects and fitout managers is that bands look like an afterthought. They do not have to.

Match them to other glazing treatments. If your meeting rooms have frosted privacy bands, use the dusted effect indicator bands so the whole scheme reads consistently.

Integrate branding. A repeating logo, a wordmark or a pattern printed into the band satisfies the visibility requirement while doing something useful. Provided the marking is continuous and provides genuine contrast, it can carry brand. See our visual indicators range.

Align them with the architecture. Setting the band height to line up with a door handle line, a transom, a joinery reveal or a shelf line makes it read as deliberate.

Use a consistent height throughout. Nothing looks more like an afterthought than bands at slightly different heights on adjacent panels.

Installation

For a small number of panels on accessible glass, these are genuinely straightforward to fit yourself. The bands come ready cut to width, and it is a matter of careful measurement, a level line and steady application.

Where it is worth having installed:

•     Long runs of glazing, where consistency of height across many panels is the difficult part

•     Automatic doors, where you need to work around the operation and get both leaves matching

•     High-level or difficult access glass

•     Anything with branding, where a misaligned logo is very visible

•     Large commercial jobs with a deadline, where an installer will be faster and more consistent

We supply and install across Melbourne, and for larger jobs we can work after hours so trade is not disrupted.

Frequently asked questions

Are indicator bands legally required?

It depends on the building, the glazing and the occupancy. Large clear panels and frameless doors that could be mistaken for an opening generally need marking. Confirm your specific situation with your building surveyor.

Do I need one band or two?

Two bands at different heights are commonly used where children are present, because a single adult-height band is not visible to a small child. In many commercial settings a single band is used.

What height should they go at?

Around adult eye level for a single band, with a lower second band where children are present. Confirm the specific heights required for your building type.

Can I use my company logo instead of a plain band?

Often yes, provided the marking is continuous across the panel and provides genuine contrast against the background. Widely spaced individual logos with clear glass between them usually do not satisfy the intent.

Do they go on the inside or the outside?

Usually internally, which protects them from weather and cleaning damage. External application is used where the approach hazard is from outside and internal application would not be visible enough against the background.

How long do they last?

Internally applied bands on protected glazing last many years. Check them during routine maintenance and replace any that have lifted, scratched or faded.

Does the glass also need safety film?

Possibly. Marking makes glass visible. It does not change what happens if someone hits it. If the panel is annealed glass in a location requiring Grade A, you may need safety film as well.

Order or get a quote

Bands are $33 per unit and available in six colours. For a single door or a couple of panels, order direct from the shop. For a full fitout, a school or a run of glazing, send us the panel schedule and we will quote supply and install.

We have been supplying and installing safety indicator bands across Melbourne since 2002. Request a free quote or call 1300 204 852.

General information only. Requirements vary by building type and occupancy, and compliance is determined by your building surveyor.