Safety & Security Window Film
Testing Standards & Performance Guidelines
Safety and security window films are evaluated using specific, published standards for forced entry, blast mitigation, and wind-borne debris. This page explains the testing language behind security film projects so you can understand what systems have been tested to do—without overpromising results or assuming code compliance where it does not exist.
Testing & Standards Overview
How Safety & Security Film Systems Are Evaluated
Safety and security window films are not tested in isolation. They are evaluated as part of a system that includes glass type, frame construction, film selection, and—often—an attachment system. Published test standards define how that system behaves under impact, pressure, or blast load so that performance can be described accurately and consistently.
Types of Testing Used for Security Film
Depending on the application, security film systems may be evaluated against standards for forced entry (intruder attacks and tool impacts), blast mitigation (shock waves and glass fragment hazards), and hurricane / windborne debris (projectiles and pressure cycling).
Understanding these standards helps owners, design teams, and security consultants compare systems, write specifications, and avoid confusing marketing language with actual, tested performance.
What Testing Standards Help Define
- How glass and film behave when impacted or pressurized.
- Levels of hazard from flying or falling glass fragments.
- Approximate delay or damage tolerance under certain attack methods.
- Which combinations of glass, film, and attachment have been tested.
- Clear, documentable language for specifications and reports.
Important: Testing defines performance in a specific lab configuration. Real-world results depend on how closely your glazing matches those tested conditions.
Key Testing Standards
Common Standards Referenced for Security Film Projects
Below are some of the most frequently referenced standards related to security window film. Not every project needs all of these, but they provide the backbone for responsible performance claims and specification language.
Forced Entry
UL 972
Measures resistance to repeated blunt impacts, commonly referenced for anti-intrusion storefront and retail security upgrades.
Security Film
ASTM E2395
A film-specific standard that evaluates security glazing systems using impact and pressure cycling to simulate forced-entry conditions.
Blast Hazard
GSA & ISO Blast
GSA glazing hazard ratings and ISO 16933 / 16934 define how glass and film systems perform under blast loading and fragment projection.
Hurricane & Debris
ASTM E1886 / E1996 & TAS
ASTM and Miami-Dade TAS protocols evaluate glazing systems against debris impact and pressure cycling for hurricane-prone regions.
When Do Standards Drive the Design?
Security, Storm & Public-Sector Applications
While every building is different, there are common scenarios where referencing formal testing and standards is essential—for both safety and liability reasons.
Education & Public
Schools & Civic Buildings
Projects driven by school safety, occupant protection, or public funding often require documented test data and clear, defensible performance language.
Government & Security
Government, Military & Critical Infrastructure
Facilities influenced by DoD, GSA, or other federal guidance typically rely on recognized blast, security, or impact standards when selecting glazing upgrades.
Storm & Coastal
Coastal & Storm-Exposed Buildings
In hurricane-prone regions, film may support hazard mitigation, but impact and pressure testing define what does—or does not—meet code as a hurricane glazing system.
Our Process
How Glass Wrap Uses Testing & Standards in Design
We take a practical, field-based approach that respects real building conditions while aligning recommendations as closely as possible with relevant test data, manufacturer guidance, and code considerations.
Step-by-Step Approach
- Site Evaluation: Review existing glass, framing, and risk areas.
- Goal Setting: Clarify whether the priority is intrusion delay, glass hazard reduction, blast mitigation, or storm-related performance.
- Standards Mapping: Identify which test standards and manufacturer data are relevant to those goals.
- System Recommendation: Suggest film type, attachment strategy, and any known tested configurations that closely match your conditions.
Educational, Not Engineering Advice
Our role is to help you understand what security film systems have been tested to do and how they can enhance your existing glazing—not to replace engineering or code officials. For highly sensitive, blast, or hurricane-driven work, we recommend involving the appropriate design professionals.
Where attachment systems are required to align with testing, we coordinate closely with our attachment system designs and our broader safety & security film services.
Performance & Limitations
Setting Realistic Expectations for Tested Systems
It is critical to communicate clearly what tested security film systems can and cannot do. This protects occupants, manages risk, and helps avoid overpromising on performance or code compliance.
What Testing & Documentation Can Provide
- Objective, third-party data about how a system behaves under defined conditions.
- Common language for specs, RFPs, and internal risk assessments.
- Support for choosing between different films, systems, or approaches.
- Better understanding of how film can enhance existing glazing performance.
- Documentation that supports responsible decision-making and due diligence.
What Testing Does Not Guarantee
- It does not mean your exact opening is identical to the lab-tested configuration.
- It does not guarantee that glass, film, or frames will perform the same in every real event.
- It does not replace the need for code officials, engineers, or security consultants when required.
- It does not ensure protection against all threats, conditions, or attack methods.
Performance is always dependent on glass type, framing, film selection, attachment method, installation quality, and how closely the installed system matches documented testing.
Disclaimer: Information on this page is provided for general educational purposes and does not constitute engineering advice, code interpretation, or a performance guarantee. Safety and security window film systems must be evaluated in the context of the specific glass, frame, attachment method, and tested configuration used. Glass Wrap does not claim or imply that film—whether or not tested to a given standard—will prevent injury, damage, or entry in all conditions. For projects requiring compliance with specific codes or standards, we recommend engaging the appropriate design professionals, code officials, and risk consultants.