Demand for glass rockets during second lockdown

New government guidance for safe care home visiting during lockdown has created an immediate market for glass processors and installation companies, according to Bohle.

With England in a second period of national lockdown, and tight restrictions remaining in place across Wales, Northern Ireland and much of Scotland, new guidance has been published on how the UK’s 21,720+ care homes can support safe visiting.

This includes putting in place “Covid-secure arrangements” for families to meet, “such as floor-to-ceiling screens, visiting pods and window visits”.

With acrylic barriers already proven to fall short of Covid cleaning regimes [LINK TO https://glasstimes.co.uk/news/first-generation-protective-screens-fail-to-meet-harsh-realities-of-the-new-normal/], Dave Broxton, managing director of Bohle, said demand for glass partitioning and protective screens is sky rocketing.

“The limitations that Covid-19 has placed on the ability of families to meet with older loved ones has been heart-breaking,” he said. “In the run into Christmas that’s going to be even more painful.

“The government now wants care homes to take action so that families can catch up, specifically highlighting floor-to-ceiling glass screens as a suggested solution.

“Given the number of care homes we have in the UK – some 21,000 or so – it creates an enormous market overnight.”

Bohle supplies an extensive range of hardware for floor-to-ceiling glass screening including its easy-to-fit clamp on profile. Available in 5,000mm (BO 5201752) and 3,000mm (BO 5201750) lengths, the pre-drilled profile is fixed to the substrate and ceiling and held in place with high-performance sealing strips, without the need for silicone.

The lightweight aluminium u-channel system also accommodates multiple glass thickness up to 21.52mm, using a stepped system, with position ‘1’ accommodating 8mm-10.76mm thickness; ‘2’ 12mm-13.52mm; and ‘3’, 16.76mm-21.52mm.

Bohle has also continued to see high levels of demand for VetroScreen, its dedicated cough and sneeze screen product, including new demand from the higher education sector.

Able to accommodate glass thicknesses of 4mm-10mm it’s been designed to be fitted in minutes, sliding over the edges of a desk or table and tightened. This creates a secure fix without drilling for screens typically up to 1,000mm high dependent on risk assessment.

“The second lockdown is clearly very different to the first,” Dave said. “I don’t believe we’ll see the shutdowns within the industry that we saw first time around – if nothing else because demand is so high.

“Covid-19 has created opportunities for the glass industry but it is crucially important that protection products are effective, efficient and fit for purpose, even as we all hope that we will not need them for any longer than necessary.”