Matthew Skywalks for safety

Matthew Baines was the lucky Saint-Gobain Glass UK employee who won the trip of a lifetime to the Grand Canyon, and experience the vertigo-inducing Skywalk – the gravity-defying glass bridge which ‘hovers’ over one of the seven natural wonders of the world.

Supported by steel beams, this 43m-long and 3m-large masterpiece is built with glass produced by Saint-Gobain Group companies.

With the prize billed as “The Experience of a Lifetime” Saint-Gobain Glass opened a competition to its employees, which would win one lucky person (and their partner) a fully inclusive four-night break in the USA, including a trip to the Grand Canyon and the Skywalk viewing gallery. The aim of the competition was to promote health and safety in the workplace.

Matthew described the moment he and he wife stepped out onto the Skywalk: “The Skywalk experience was incredible. Words and photos cannot describe what the place is like, we feel so privileged to have seen it with our own eyes.”

Saint-Gobain Glass was integral to the success of this project. SGG Diamant glass was used for the floor and walls – due to its very low amount of iron oxide, this glass is extremely transparent, and guarantees good visibility and an optimal rendering of colours.

All the glass used for the Skywalk is tempered and laminated, and all 46 glass pieces over 5cm thick were assembled and set into place on the spot. The horseshoe-shaped Skywalk can accept up to 45kg/0.3m², which means a capacity of 120 persons at the same time.

Website: uk.saint-gobain-glass.com