[familyop]

"Tempered glass DOES NOT break into long shards,..."

YES, IT DOES!!!!!! ;)

"...it breaks into small nugget like pieces,the very quality that that made it mandated as safety glass. Goes back to the first Consumer Products Safety Commission regulations (circa early 70s)."

No. Safety glass is laminated glass.

"Auto glass consists of two layers of tempered glass bonded to a plastic film core to reduce projectile effects."

That's laminated glass. I've used it in construction and seen it broken many times in construction. I'm not just an Internet know-it-all gobbling shards of information from searches.

There's a difference between tempered glass that's laminated and tempered glass that is not laminated. I've also installed laminated glass for high wind loads (110 mph and more). Many travel trailers have tempered glass in them that is not laminated. It will often break into long, sharp pieces.

[marktwain]

I'm not just an Internet know-it-all gobbling shards of information from searches.

I love the treasure trove of expertise available on freerepublic.

Thank you for the valuable information.

[Covenantor]

In all my years involved with design, specification, field inspections, and as project manager for curtain wall and monumental skylight mfr, fab, and installation, never encountered a labeled tempered glass panel break into shards. And that includes full size mock up tested past design limits to destruction. Worked with design engineers at LOF, PPG, Pilkington and others.

You may have worked with heat treated glass which is not the same thing as fully tempered and certified glass.