Belron's Glass Medic® Not to Change Policy Based on ROLAGS

by Penny Stacey

In light of the recent acceptance by ANSI of the Repair of Laminated Glass Standard (ROLAGS), John Robinson, chief executive officer for Glass Medic, a division of BELRON, says he does not intend to change the company's windshield repair polices based on the Standard.

"We naturally support industry efforts to improve vehicle glass repair standards which are focused on promoting customer safety and effective working practices," Robinson says. "However, we do not totally support BSR/NGA R1.1-2007 as we do not believe it is in the best interests of consumers. At this stage, we will therefore not be recommending any immediate changes to our current guidelines."

Glass Medic's current guidelines for repair require that the damage be small enough to be covered by a dollar bill and must be contained to the outer lite of glass. Other requirements include that tthe pit of the damage must not exceed 12 mm; there must be no visual delaminating of the PVB; there must be no visual chemical contamination; and the PVB must not have turned white.

The ROLAGS standard, which allows repairs of damage up to 14 inches long, was accepted by ANSI in late June and was met with a variety of reactions by many in the industry (CLICK HERE for related story). ANSI/NGA R1.1-2007 was developed jointly by the National Windshield Repair Association (NWRA) and the National Glass Association.

Despite many concerns over the length of the crack accepted by the Standard, -David Taylor, chief operating officer for Cindy Rowe Auto Glass in Harrisburg, Pa., and a member of the joint NGA-NWRA ROLAGS Committee, says the committee worked hard to ensure the final Standard contained appropriate wording.

"Long crack repair is a viable process that provides the public with a valuable service," he says. "At times it has been the source of varying opinions. Many knowledgeable representatives worked diligently to determine best wording for long crack repair as well as all parts of the Standard."

CLICK HERE to discuss the ROLAGS Standard.

Penny Stacey is the editor of glassBYTES.com™/AGRR magazine.