Safety first with the Perfect Pint

UK glassware provider Utopia Tableware is launching “The Perfect Pint”, a pint glass created from a specially developed type of fully toughened glass, which is designed to reduce the risk of injuries when it breaks.

The news follows last year’s announcement by competitor Arc International that it was trialling its own safer pint glass in UK pubs as part of a Home Office initiative

Although toughened glassware has been available in the UK for over 15 years, the new Utopia model is touted as a improvement on the grounds that it breaks evenly into smaller fragments. The company claims that this will make it less likely to cause lacerations either by accidental contact or as a result of glass-related violence.

The announcement follows the first meeting of the 21st Century Working Pint Party, which took place earlier this month. The group is now seeking to formalise a recognised and enforceable British Standard for toughened glassware, with the aim of agreeing a proposal to pass on to the Home Office by October this year.

While the company accepts that toughened glass involves “a small price premium”, it suggests that the more robust design will last up to five times longer.

According to Utopia, 87,000 violent incidents involving glassware take place every year.

Gabriel Savage, 14.07.2011