Having been a part of the Australian community for nearly 100 years, the O’Brien® team has seen our fair share of storms – and we’ve also helped thousands of Australian households prepare for storms (as well as clean-up after them). So, from our first-hand experience, we’ve put together a handy storm preparation checklist for you.

Being prepared for natural disasters such as storms isn’t just a precautionary measure. It’s a way to help keep your loved ones as well as your property safe, especially since Australian storms come in all types and severity.

Here are 8 things that you can do to prepare your home and your family in the event of a storm.

8 things you need to do around the home to be storm-ready

1. Stay informed and updated.

Forewarned is forearmed. So, whenever there’s a storm warning, keep a close eye on weather forecasts. If possible, get real-time alerts and warnings about approaching storms from reliable news sources so you’re always alert.

2. Create a family emergency plan.

Discuss evacuation routes, safe areas within your home, and contact information for nearby shelters or emergency services with your family.

This way, when the time comes, everyone will know what to do and can act quickly.

3. Build an emergency kit and stock up on your essentials.

You can also pack a storm emergency kit with all the essentials:

• non-perishable food
• clean water
• medications
• a first aid kit
• a torch
• batteries
• power banks

Ideally, an emergency kit should have enough supplies for at least a week.

4. Secure your surroundings.

While it’s still safe, clean up garden debris and secure loose objects in your yard so they don’t become projectiles during high winds. This includes outdoor furniture, trampolines or garden decorations. If flooding is a concern, you can use sandbags to prevent water from entering the vicinity of your home.

5. Inspect your doors and windows.

Look into all entry and exit points around your home such as windows and doors check for proper sealing. Get any previously broken panes of glass repaired so that they’re in good working order. It is worth checking to make sure you have the right type of safety glass around your home as well.

Your local O’Brien Glass experts can work on the replacement and provide expert advice for ensuring the glass around your home is safe for extreme weather.

6. Check your roof and gutters.

Check your roof regularly for loose or missing tiles and repair roof damage as soon as you notice it. Cleaning out gutters and downpipes will also ensure proper drainage in case of heavy rainfall. This can help you avoid or minimise potential water leaks and water damage during a storm.

If you need help with the cleaning and repair of your gutters or maintaining your roof, your local O'Brien Plumbing experts can assist.

7. Examine potential electric hazards.

Faulty power lines, lightning and water are a concerning combination that could pose risks to your home and your family. So, it helps to have a safety switch installed and maintained on your switchboard. A residual-current circuit breaker with over-current protection (RCBO) also guards against accidental electrocution by monitoring the current travelling to and from an electrical load.

If you need help with the installation of switchboard and safety switches, your local O'Brien Electrical experts can assist.

8. Review your insurance coverage.

Take the time to talk to your insurance provider and make sure your coverage adequately protects against storm and flood damage, especially if you live in a flood-prone area. Knowing that you have the right coverage gives you one less thing to worry about when the storm hits.

Stay safe and dry with help from O’Brien®

It’s always a smart idea to be prepared in advance for storms, and hopefully, this checklist is a good starting point for you.

Always remember, if you need any repairs around the home before or after a weather event – whether it be for electrical or plumbing work or glass repairs – just reach out to your local O’Brien^® team.

For more information about our services, call us on 1800 719 738 or send us a message to speak with one of our friendly staff.

We’re here to keep you safe and dry.

The post Storm Preparation Checklist: 8 Things To Do To Prepare For A Storm appeared first on O'Brien.

The Grand Chancellor Hotel is a 10-storey building overlooking the Harbour in central Hobart. After a recent storm damaged a section of the lower roof, the Hotel was looking for a new glazing supplier who could help with the repair after the original glazing company contracted to do the work refused to touch the project, citing the high risk of injury.

The team at the O'Brien Glass® Hobart was up for the challenge!

The O'Brien Glass® team was tasked with repairing 15 damaged roof panels. We used panels made of 17.52mm laminated heat-strengthened glass weighing 120 kilograms, all made according to templates in various shapes and sizes.

The work was carried out over two days, with four men working on the roof at a time. The glaziers used a scissor lift to reach the rooftop, and a crane was used to lift each glass panel.

At all times, the team ensured there were specialists on-site working with the glaziers to ensure that safety was always a priority, given they were working at such heights. The team was also prepared for the cold weather, wearing (lots of) thermals to stay warm.

The O’Brien Glass® team worked to complete the project on time and within budget, and the Grand Chancellor was thrilled with the workmanship and service provided by the glaziers. The newly installed panels will help to secure the structural integrity of the roof for many years to come with the  O'Brien® Glazing Workmanship Guarantee.

“Our contact at The Grand Chancellor was pleased with the results and expressed his gratitude to our team. They went above and beyond in their workmanship, and their expertise shined through on this project. A massive thank you to our whole Hobart glazing crew!” – Kelly, O'Brien Glass® Hobart Branch Manager

The challenges of the project

The team faced a range of challenges throughout, including:

• The immense weight of the glass

The weight of the glass panels was a significant obstacle to overcome. Each panel weighing 120 kilograms was difficult to lift and manoeuvre.

• The difficult height of the building

The height of the roof was measured to be 15 metres high, making it difficult for the glaziers to work safely. Our team used safety harnesses and ropes to secure themselves, and they worked with a team of fall prevention specialists to ensure each member was always safe.

• The cold weather

The harsh Tasmanian weather proved to be another significant challenge. The appointment date needed to be rescheduled three times before the project could be carried out due to harsh winter conditions that were often below freezing. In the end, the team wore thermals to stay warm, and they took breaks throughout the day to warm up and ensure they could return to work safely.

The importance of safety

Safety was always top of mind for the team throughout the project, as with every O'Brien Glass® job. As well as collaborating with and supporting one another, each of our glazing specialists worked with a fall prevention specialist who ensured all safety precautions were met.  The glaziers all wore safety harnesses to secure themselves as well as all necessary glazing Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).

Nearly 100 years’ worth of glazing expertise

O'Brien Glass® is a leading provider of glass products and services in Australia. With almost a century of experience, we have a deep understanding of the glazing industry and the needs of our customers, big or small.

Our team of professional glaziers are experienced in solving difficult problems like this one and use only quality glass products that are compliant with AS1288 Standards. We also provide a lifetime guarantee on our glazing workmanship, so you can always be confident in the quality of our work.

Whether you need a new window, a shower screen, or a challenging commercial glass installation like the Hotel Chancellor, O'Brien Glass® can help. We offer a wide range of services around glass and are on hand to answer your questions about any glazing challenge, big or small.

Contact us today at 1800 059 829 or chat with us online to learn more about how we can help you when it comes to glass replacements and upgrades.

The post O’Brien® Glaziers Successfully Scale The Heights Of The Hotel Grand Chancellor In Hobart appeared first on O'Brien.

However, as much as glass is an attractive addition, an unexpected breakage can be quite a stressful and dangerous situation.

Whether you’re dealing with a shattered piece of glass or just a crack, it’s essential to have a plan to act as quickly and safely as possible.

So to help, our expert O'Brien Glass^® experts, have outlined the six things you should do when glass breaks and when to call for emergency glass repair.

What can cause glass to break?

• Impact damage

This is the most common cause of glass breakage, whether accidental, deliberate or weather-related. For example, intruders and vandals can throw debris that can break glass, or children (and adults) can accidentally shatter a window or break glass furniture when running around or playing with hard objects. The wind can also carry solid things that hit glass too.

• Poor edge quality

Glass edge damage can occur when glass is installed incorrectly or via cutting and processing flaws. A slight edge imperfection, impact or chip can lead to the entire pane breaking after its original installation.

• Thermal stress

Heat or cold-induced stress in glass is caused by a temperature difference between the centre and edge of the glass pane. If the thermally induced stress exceeds the strength of the glass, it can break, usually not in a straight line.

To learn more about the different types of glass and how they break, read here.

What should you do if glass breaks?

Glass is a versatile yet fragile material.

No matter what type of glass and where it’s installed, glass can crack, break or shatter altogether for many reasons.

Knowing what to do, if this happens, is important, so you can protect yourself and those around you.

So, here are six things you should do when glass breaks:

1. Determine the cause of breakage.

While there are numerous causes of broken glass, it’s essential to get to the bottom of what has caused the incident as soon as you can.

Begin by carefully inspecting the area to make sure there is no further damage to other parts of your home or business and that you understand what has happened so that you can act accordingly.

2. Block access to the area.

Broken shards of glass can pose a serious risk. So it’s important to secure the area immediately, let everyone close by know and keep children and pets away.

3. Clean around the site on horizontal surfaces (avoiding any glass still in the frame) as soon as possible.

Always protect yourself from any glass shards while you clean up the area. Put on closed shoes and thick gloves before doing anything else. Glasses would be good, too, as glass flicks up in unpredictable ways when sweeping up. This will reduce the risk of cutting yourself.

First, look for larger glass pieces and discard them before cleaning up the smaller shards. Then, sweep up any fragments and vacuum the immediate and wider area to ensure you’ve picked up any remaining pieces or granules.

Do not attempt to remove even small pieces of ordinary annealed glass that are still present within the frame, as moving one small amount could cause the collapse of any remaining portions (and cause injury)

4. Apply a temporary covering (if possible or needed).

The next step is to temporarily cover the window or door opening with cardboard and tape (if possible). This is important for safety reasons and to secure your home or business. This can serve as a temporary fix until a professional O'Brien^® glazier organises an emergency glass replacement for you.

If the glass is toughened, it will have either shattered into small pieces with some or all remaining in the frame. Use a cardboard sheet or other solid material sheet and affix it to the frame edge, not the glass. This same process applies to broken annealed glass still within the frame. If the glass is laminated because it’s held together, it would usually only require some wide tape to secure a small hole breakthrough or large crack.

5. Contact your insurance provider.

Find out whether your emergency glass replacement is covered by your home insurance policy, such as a break-in. Your insurance provider will then verify if you are eligible for having the costs of window glass replacement covered (and usually arrange for a glazier to assist).

6. Contact a qualified local glazing expert.

If you don’t have insurance, you’ll need to contact a qualified glazier, like O'Brien Glass^®, who will be able to provide an emergency glass replacement for you. Your local expert glazier will be able to provide recommendations on the most suitable type of glass for your home or business.

If a window, pane or panel was ever to shatter, follow the above steps to handle the broken glass and get it fixed. This will help protect you and your family or your colleagues and help reduce the stress of the whole situation!

When glass breaks, think of O'Brien^® – your local glass experts

At O'Brien^®, our local glazing team can provide you with quality glass products and glazing services – from emergency replacement and new glass installation to shower screens, window tinting, pet doors in windows and glass doors and more.

Contact us today, and we’ll help you choose the right type of glass for every application in either your home or office.

For more information about our quality glazing services, call us on 1800 719 737 or send us a message to speak with one of our friendly staff.

The post Emergency Glass Repair: 6 Things You Should Do When Glass Breaks appeared first on O'Brien.