Roseville, Calif. (Sept. 5, 2007) – To help keep children safe from potentially serious injuries caused by broken glass, Glass Doctor of Placer County is offering the Glass Safety program featuring lessons and coloring books for use in local elementary schools.

Through Glass Safety lessons, students in Kindergarten through third grade learn that when glass breaks or they find broken glass they should:
o G – Get a parent.
o L – Let the parent pick up the glass.
o A – Avoid the area of the broken glass.
o S – Stay clear of the area until it is cleaned up.
o S – Safe habits will keep you safe.

Young children can be hurt by broken glass a number of ways, including stepping on glass shards, falling through windows, or running through sliding glass doors. The most common childhood injuries involving glass are severe cuts when a child picks up pieces of glass after a drinking glass, window, light bulb or lamp breaks. On their own, children often find stray pieces of glass on sidewalks, sports fields, parking lots and playgrounds. Even though prevention is best, Glass Safety focuses on what children should do after glass breaks; when adults may or may not be nearby.

“We pride ourselves on fast and friendly, high quality service, but we know safety is our number one priority,” said Chad Heaps of Glass Doctor of Placer County. “Sometimes our glass service technicians see what happens after a child is severely cut by glass and it breaks your heart to know what the child and the parents must be going through. We want to do all we can to prevent accidental glass-related injuries from happening.”

The Glass Safety lesson plans include grade-level appropriate, integrated math/science activities and social studies/reading/writing activities. The lessons can be completed in less than 30 minutes with short preparation time. The activities are correlated to national curriculum standards. A coloring book featuring the Glass Safety tips is available for children to take home to parents.

“Glass Safety has good reminders for adults as well as kids,” Heaps said. “Even though great strides have been made in glass technology it is still dangerous to handle glass. We offer emergency services that include cleanup so that our customers are protected and broken windows can be boarded up for security.”

Glass Doctor can replace broken glass or older, dangerous glass with laminated glass or tempered safety glass. When these newer types of glass panes break, they form fragments instead of dangerous shards. Laminated glass has a layer of polyvinyl butyral (PVB) between two or more glass panes. If broken, the glass “sticks” to the PVB. This is the same principle behind laminated glass windshields.

If installing laminated or tempered safety glass is not possible, parents should consider tinting films that can protect against breakage and shattered glass. Films also can reduce ultraviolet light, glare and heat in a room, which saves energy. Parents can even tape their child’s artwork to glass doors and windows at eye level to remind them about glass safety.

These suggestions are supported by best practices of window and door manufacturers. For more information about glass and window safety, visit these Web sites:
• The National Safety Council -  http://www.nsc.org/aware/window/index.htm
• The Window and Door Manufacturers Association - http://www.wdma.com
• The Safety Glazing Certification Council - http://www.sgcc.org/

Schools and parents can request copies of the Glass Safety program curriculum from Chad Heaps of Glass Doctor of Placer County by calling
(916) 786-2888.

Story Ideas:
• Chad Heaps of Glass Doctor of Placer County is available for interviews
and photo/video opportunities to demonstrate the difference in shards from older pane glass and fragments from newer laminated glass. Heaps also can discuss what consumers should consider when replacing residential glass.
• Local school nurses may know how often they treat children’s injuries
from broken glass on playgrounds and sidewalks. Schools may be installing safety glass or tinting windows for security purposes.
• Local pediatricians or hospitals may have statistics about how often
glass-related injuries occur in your area.

About Glass Doctor®:
Established in 1962, Glass Doctor is the largest chain of full-service glass replacement providers in the nation. Recognized by Entrepreneur magazine among its “Franchise 500,” Glass Doctor franchisees offer complete glass replacement, service and repairs to the automotive, residential and commercial markets at more than 360 locations in the United States. Glass Doctor is a subsidiary of The Dwyer Group, Inc. For further information or to find the location nearest you, visit  www.glassdoctor.com