Five Ways to Prevent Rebar Hazards on the Worksite

It doesn‚t require a fall from heights to be seriously injured by rebar. A simple stumble onto unguarded rebar can result in a critical injury or fatality. In fact, unguarded rebar is responsible for 61% of impalement accidents on construction sites. Taking measures to prevent impalement hazards can greatly increase worksite safety for everyone. Here are some basic guidelines to prevent accidents and injuries from rebar:

1. When working above rebar, always use fall protection as your first line of defense against impalement injuries.
2. For a long row of rebar, 2x4 wooden planks can be placed over rebar to prevent injuries.
3. Use flat topped rebar caps that are specially designed to prevent impalement injuries - these caps contain steel inside to prevent rebar from penetrating the protective cover.
4. Steel-reinforced mushroom rebar caps can protect against minor cuts and injuries when working with rebar.
5. When rebar caps are not available, rebar can be bent to turn exposed ends under so they are no longer upright.

For more information on rebar safety, see OSHA Standard 1926.701(b) https://www.osha.gov/laws-regs/regulations/standardnumber/1926/1926.701.