Class Code 4130
Glass Merchants
Class code 4130 (Glass Merchants) applies to businesses that buy, store, sell and distribute glass products in California. The September 1, 2026 approved pure premium rate for this classification is $6.829 per $100 of payroll, which helps set base workers' compensation costs for these employers. Understanding the operations and risks tied to glass merchandising is essential to controlling claims and premiums.
What Class Code 4130 Covers
This classification covers merchants whose primary business is the retail or wholesale sale and distribution of glass products and related glazing supplies. Typical operations include receiving and storing glass sheets, merchandising stocked panes and mirrors, cutting or edging glass to customer-specified sizes when that activity is incidental to sales, preparing orders, packing and shipping, and operating a small on-site cutting table or grinder. It generally does not include larger-scale fabrication shops or installment-only contractors who perform glazing or installation at customer job sites; those operations are usually coded differently. Employees covered under this code work in storefronts, warehouses, loading docks and delivery vehicles and may handle sheets of glass, glass accessories, and retail inventory systems.
Who It Applies To
- Retail glass shops that sell window glass, mirrors and replacement panes
- Wholesale glass distributors supplying builders, glaziers and retailers
- Warehouse pickers and packers who handle and ship glass products
- Counter sales associates who process customer orders and in-store cutting
- Delivery drivers who transport boxed or crated glass to customers
Common Job Duties
- Receiving, inspecting and storing flat glass sheets and mirrors
- Measuring and performing customer-requested cutting or edging (incidental)
- Packing, crating and preparing glass for shipment
- Loading and unloading glass from trucks using dollies or forklifts
- Counter sales, order entry and coordinating special-cut orders
- Operating small glass cutting tables, grinders and hand tools
- Maintaining inventory, labeling and rotating stock
Common Injury Risks
Understanding the $6.829 Rate
The pure premium rate of $6.829 per $100 of payroll is the WCIRB-approved component that estimates expected claim costs for this class before insurer loadings. To calculate base premium multiply payroll (in hundreds) by $6.829; carriers then add expense loadings, profit margins and any policy-specific adjustments. Final premium is affected by your companys payroll mix, claims history (experience modification), audits, classification splits and safety controls that reduce losses.
Cal/OSHA Compliance Requirements
Cal/OSHA requirements that commonly apply include provisions for eye and face protection, hand protection, machine guarding around cutting and grinding equipment, forklift and powered industrial truck safety, and Hazard Communication for cleaning agents and adhesives. If cutting or grinding glass generates dust, employers must address airborne silica hazards under California's silica control requirements and provide appropriate respiratory protection, monitoring and controls.
How Key HR Helps Employers Under Class Code 4130
A PEO like Key HR can help glass merchants reduce workers' comp costs by ensuring correct payroll classification, implementing return-to-work and transitional duty programs, and managing claims to limit indemnity and medical exposure. Key HR also provides loss-control services tailored to glass handling—site hazard assessments, cutting-table guarding, PPE programs, driver safety and employee training that directly reduce frequency and severity of claims.
Get a QuoteFrequently Asked Questions
Does class code 4130 include glass installers who fit windows at job sites?
No. Glass installers and glazing contractors who perform on-site installation or construction-related glazing are typically classified under a construction or installation class code rather than 4130, which is intended for merchants engaged in selling, storing and incidental cutting.
What practices lower workers' comp costs for a glass merchant?
Implementing mandatory cut-resistant gloves and eye protection, training on safe glass handling and lifting techniques, using mechanical aids (dollies, suction cups, forklifts), guarding cutting equipment and having a written return-to-work program all reduce claim frequency and severity and improve your experience modification.
If my shop cuts glass frequently, will I still be coded as a glass merchant?
Frequent or large-scale fabrication may trigger a different classification. If cutting, grinding or fabrication is a primary operation rather than incidental to sales, inform your insurer or PEO so your exposures are reviewed and the correct class is applied.
Quick Facts
- Class Code
- 4130
- Classification
- Glass Merchants
- Pure Premium Rate
- $6.829 / $100 payroll
- Effective Date
- September 1, 2026
- Source
- WCIRB Approved Filing
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