Decide whether to require EN 14179 heat soak testing for tempered glass at height to mitigate nickel sulfide breakage risk

Steps

1. Confirm EN 14179's current scope as the European standard for heat soak tested thermally toughened safety glass, since it is a CEN (European) standard referenced voluntarily on many North American projects in the absence of an equivalent widely adopted ASTM heat-soak standard.
2. Confirm the heat soak process parameters currently published (commonly a hold at approximately 290°C for a specified duration to force nickel sulfide inclusion-related fractures pre-installation) against the current standard text or the fabricator's documented process, not just a secondary summary.
3. Evaluate project risk factors (lite height/overhead glazing, occupant exposure below, difficulty of glass replacement) to decide whether heat soak testing is warranted, since it is not universally code-mandated in most U.S. jurisdictions.
4. Reference U.S. industry guidance documents (e.g., glass industry association technical bulletins on heat soak testing) alongside EN 14179 when writing the spec, since EN 14179 compliance verification/documentation practices in the U.S. market often follow industry association guidance.
5. Require the fabricator's heat soak furnace to be third-party monitored or documented for temperature uniformity and hold time, since heat soak effectiveness is highly process-dependent.