Competent Person — Glazing

← Glass & Glazing Compliance Centre

A competent person in glazing is a suitably qualified professional who assesses or designs glazing that falls outside a standard, deemed-to-satisfy solution.

What is a competent person in glazing?
A competent person is a suitably qualified professional who can assess or design glazing that falls outside a standard, deemed-to-satisfy solution — for example large panes, facades, structural glazing or unusual wind-load conditions. They confirm that a bespoke design meets the applicable requirements when a standard rule of thumb is not enough.
Please note: This guide explains the concept in general terms and does not define who qualifies as a competent person for your project or determine a design. Where specialist input is needed, engage a suitably qualified competent person and confirm requirements against the applicable standards.

Most everyday glazing is covered by recognised, deemed-to-satisfy solutions — follow the standard route and you are compliant. But some situations go beyond what a standard solution covers, and that is where a competent person comes in. This guide explains what a competent person does in a glazing context, and the kinds of project where their input becomes important.

What a competent person does

In a glazing context, a competent person is a suitably qualified professional who can assess, design or confirm a solution that a standard, off-the-shelf approach does not adequately cover. Rather than applying a general rule, they consider the specific loads, dimensions and conditions and produce (or sign off) a design that meets the applicable requirements. On a straightforward house, this is rarely needed; on a demanding project, it is what keeps an ambitious design safe and compliant.

Competent person glazing — assessing large-pane and facade design

When a deemed-to-satisfy solution may not be enough

Deemed-to-satisfy rules are written for typical situations. Once a project moves outside “typical”, the standard route may no longer cover it, and a competent person may be required. Common triggers include:

  • Large panes and full-height glazing beyond ordinary sizes.
  • Facades and structural glazing, where the glass is part of the building envelope’s structure.
  • Unusual wind-load conditions — exposed, coastal or high-rise sites.
  • Specialist shopfronts and commercial developments with demanding spans or performance.
  • Any glazing where the required specification cannot be confirmed from a reliable standard route.
Facade and structural glazing on a commercial development
A sleek automatic sliding glass door installed at the main entrance of a contemporary commercial building in South Africa, featuring clear tempered glass panels framed by brushed stainless steel tracks and a compact overhead operator housing. The door is set within a clean, light-grey façade with subtle architectural lines. Mid-morning natural light reflects softly off the glass, creating gentle highlights along the metal edges while the interior beyond remains slightly blurred. Captured at eye level with a slight angle to emphasize the door’s motion and mechanism, the composition follows a clean, modern, photographic realism style, conveying reliability, professionalism, and effortless accessibility with sharp focus and minimal distractions in the background.

Why this protects your project

Bringing in a competent person at the right time is not red tape — it is risk management. Large or structural glazing that fails can be dangerous and costly, and retrofitting a fix is far harder than getting the design right first. For unusual or high-consequence glazing, confirming the design with a competent person gives everyone — owner, architect, contractor and installer — confidence that the solution suits the actual loads and conditions.

A robust automatic swing door operator mounted above a solid aluminium-framed glass door in a corporate office corridor, showcasing the precision-engineered housing, discreet safety sensors, and neatly concealed wiring. The door sits within a smooth, light-painted wall with clear signage and a polished tiled floor reflecting the lower edge of the frame. Cool, even fluorescent ceiling lighting casts soft, controlled shadows beneath the operator unit, emphasizing its form without harsh contrasts. Photographed from a slightly low angle with sharp focus, the composition highlights the operator as the hero element while the corridor gently fades into a subtle bokeh. The atmosphere is professional, orderly, and technologically advanced, in a clean, photographic realism style.

How to know if you need one

A useful test: if your glazing is ordinary in size, position and exposure, a recognised solution from an experienced supplier is usually enough. If it is large, structural, highly exposed or otherwise unusual — or if a requirement simply cannot be confirmed from the standards — treat that as the signal to involve a competent person. When in doubt, confirm rather than assume.

automatic door

Competent person glazing: when you need one

You are more likely to need a competent person for glazing on large panes, facades, structural glazing, unusual wind-load conditions and specialist commercial work. For ordinary openings a recognised solution is usually enough; when a requirement cannot be confirmed from the standards, that is the signal to involve a competent person.

In practice, a competent person is someone with the training and experience to take responsibility for a glazing outcome — reading the requirement, selecting suitable glass and framing, and confirming the installation meets the applicable standards. On straightforward domestic openings the supplier and a skilled installer usually cover this between them. Where an opening is unusually large, highly exposed, structural, or part of a commercial or public building, involving a competent person earlier — and asking who will sign off the work — protects both the specification and the eventual glazing certificate.

Sources

Back to the Compliance Centre. Discuss a demanding project on a quote or with our team.

What this means in practice on a real project

Reading about competent person is one thing; evidencing it on a live project is another. In our experience the difficulties almost never come from the requirement itself — they come from nobody having decided, early enough, who is responsible for the decision and who will produce the paperwork at the end. That question is worth settling at specification stage rather than at handover.

Decide who is responsible before the glass is ordered

On a supply-only order the responsibilities split. The supplier is accountable for manufacturing what was specified and for describing accurately what has been supplied. The party doing the installing is accountable for how the unit is fitted, packed and sealed. Whoever signs off the completed work is accountable for confirming that the installed result is appropriate for the application. Those are three different roles, and on smaller projects they are often three different companies, which is exactly how gaps appear.

Ask for the documentation while the job is still open

Whatever record your project needs is far easier to obtain during the contract than a year later. Keep the order confirmation showing what was supplied, keep the delivery documentation, and photograph the glass markings before the units are installed and the edges are covered by beading. Those three items answer most later questions about what was actually fitted, and they cost nothing to collect at the time.

Where Coetz™ fits in

Coetz™ supplies aluminium windows and doors glazed as standard with 6.38 mm clear laminated safety glass, and states on the order what has been supplied. Aluminium windows and doors are supplied only; automatic door systems are installed and serviced by our team. We are glad to confirm in writing what a given order contains, which is usually what a contractor or building inspector actually needs from the supplier.

An important limit on this page. The summary above is general guidance, not a compliance opinion, and it is not a substitute for the published standard or for professional advice. Requirements vary with the application, the building and the specifics of the installation. Where a decision about competent person carries safety or regulatory consequences, work from the current published text and engage a suitably qualified competent person for your project.