The Tempered Glass Connection

Most glass shower doors are put through a process called tempering, where its tensile strength is altered during a heating process. This makes the glass much stronger against direct impact, but weakens it against side impact. Meaning, if you were to drop the glass on its side, it would instantly shatter.

A piece of tempered glass may withstand a baseball crashing into its face, but it may shatter easily if struck with a mild blow on the edge.

Tip 1 - Despite this phenomenon, tempered glass is still a safer option than non-tempered glass for daily use.

It's important to note that actual injuries from exploding shower door glass are very rare. That's because the tempering process used to create safety glass causes it to break into very small pieces rather than large, sharp shards.

Tip 2 - What do you do if your shower door does shatter? If you are in the shower when it breaks, lay a towel down to avoid walking on broken glass.

However it does make sense to periodically inspect your glass door to make sure that all hardware and brackets are in place, and that the glass panel contains no small nicks or cracks. 

If you spot damage, repair or replace the components immediately.