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uk Home & property emergencies

What to do if…
a windowpane is badly cracked or broken and may fall or leave the home unsecured

Produced and maintained by PanicStation.org Published: Last reviewed: Editorial policy UK guide

Short answer

Keep everyone away from both sides of the window and close off the room if you can do so without approaching unstable glass. Arrange urgent professional glazing or boarding, and contact your landlord or housing provider immediately if you rent.

Do not do these things

  • Do not touch, press, pull, or try to remove glass that remains in the frame.
  • Do not stand beneath the window or allow anyone to pass directly below it outside.
  • Do not slam nearby doors or windows, as vibration could disturb loose glass.
  • Do not lean from another window or use a ladder to inspect the damage.
  • Do not attempt to board the opening yourself if this would bring you close to unstable glass.
  • Do not let children or pets enter the affected room.
  • Do not clear shards while more glass could still fall.
  • Do not rely on tape, cardboard, curtains, or plastic sheeting to make unstable glass safe or the home secure.

What to do now

  1. Move people and pets away from the window immediately. Keep clear of the area directly outside, especially if the pane is above ground level or faces a path, entrance, pavement, or neighbouring property.
  2. Leave the room by a safe route and close the internal door if you can do so without approaching the glass. Stop others from entering.
  3. If someone has been cut, apply firm pressure with a clean dressing or cloth unless glass is embedded in the wound. If glass is embedded, do not remove it or press directly on it; apply pressure around it. Call 999 for severe or uncontrolled bleeding. For an urgent injury that is not life-threatening, use the urgent-care route for the UK nation you are in; in England, NHS 111 can direct you to appropriate care.
  4. Call 999 if falling glass creates an immediate danger to people that you cannot safely control, or if a crime is in progress or someone is in immediate danger.
  5. Contact an emergency glazier or boarding service. Explain that glass is loose or may fall, whether the window is above ground level, and whether the opening leaves the home accessible.
  6. If you rent, report the damage immediately through your landlord’s, letting agent’s, council’s, or housing association’s emergency repair route. State clearly that the glass may fall or that the property cannot be secured. Responsibility for the repair or cost can depend on how the damage happened and the tenancy terms.
  7. If you own the home, check whether your buildings insurer or home-emergency provider offers an approved emergency glazing service, provided doing so does not delay work needed to remove an immediate danger.
  8. Lock other doors and undamaged accessible windows. Move keys, valuables, and personal documents out of sight from the opening.
  9. If the damage may have been caused deliberately or during a break-in, do not confront anyone. Call 999 if the incident is continuing or anyone is in danger. Otherwise, report it to the police through 101 or the relevant online reporting service.
  10. Take photographs from a safe distance and note when the damage occurred and whom you contacted. Do not delay urgent make-safe work to gather photographs.

What can wait

You do not need to choose the final replacement glass, settle who will pay, clear every shard, complete an insurance claim, or decide on security upgrades now. Focus only on keeping people away, restricting access to the dangerous area, and arranging professional make-safe work.

Important reassurance

A badly damaged window is alarming, but you do not need to handle the glass yourself. Creating distance, closing off the area, and arranging professional boarding or glazing are useful first steps even when a permanent repair cannot happen immediately.

Scope note

This guide covers immediate steps to reduce injury and security risks. Permanent repairs, tenancy responsibility, insurance claims, crime reports, and later security improvements may require help from the relevant professional or organisation.

Important note

This is general safety information, not legal, medical, insurance, building, or other professional advice. Follow instructions from emergency services, healthcare professionals, your landlord or housing provider, your insurer, and the contractor attending the property.

Additional Resources

Closely connected guides that may be useful during the same situation or its immediate aftermath.

About this guide

This guide was produced and is maintained by PanicStation.org using its published editorial process. Official and specialist sources are checked where relevant, and AI-assisted tools may be used for drafting, organisation, and consistency checks. The site operator remains responsible for publication, revision, and removal decisions.

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