What each one does when it fails
Toughened glass is heated and rapidly cooled so the outer surfaces are in compression. When it breaks it releases into thousands of small blunt pieces — which is why it is used where somebody might walk into it. It is strong against impact but it does not stay in the opening once broken: the whole panel goes.
Laminated glass is two or more sheets bonded to a plastic interlayer. When it breaks the crack runs but the pieces stay attached to the interlayer. It stays in the frame, keeps the weather out and keeps the opening closed — which is why it is used where falling glass or staying secure matters.
Where each one belongs
Doors, door side panels and low glass in residential buildings are the classic toughened locations: the concern is a person going through it. Overhead glazing, balustrades, shopfronts in some situations and anywhere the glass is above people or needs to stay in place fall on the laminated side, because the concern is what comes down.
There are also locations where the requirement is both — and in those cases the make-up is laminated glass made from toughened sheets. That is not a premium upsell; it is the only way to satisfy two different requirements at once.
Why "safety glass" is not a product
Safety glass is a category, not a thing you can order. A supplier who says "it's safety glass" has told you nothing you can check. The useful sentence names the make-up and the thickness and the standard it was selected under.
This is the reason we put those three things in writing on the quote. If a job is ever inspected, or a certificate is needed, the paperwork has to match what is actually in the opening.
What this means when something breaks
A broken toughened panel usually means the entire panel is gone — there is nothing to patch. A broken laminated panel may still be holding the weather out while you wait for the replacement. Knowing which one you have changes what you do in the first hour.
If the broken glass is in a door, a low window, or anywhere a child could reach, treat the opening as unsafe until it is made safe, even if the remaining glass looks intact.