Prevent Accidents and Injuries from Rebar in 5 Easy Steps

Rebar, exposed protruding steel which is commonly found on construction sites, ranks as one of the most deadly hazards on a construction site. According to OSHA statistics, 61% of construction accidents can be attributed to impalement from rebar. But there are steps that can be taken to reduce or eliminate rebar injuries:

1. If working at any height above rebar, always use fall protection as your first line of defense against impalement. 
2. Use specially-made protective caps designed to prevent impalement - these caps are flat on top and have steel placed inside the plastic covering which prevent the rebar from penetrating the protective cover.
3. If there is a long row of rebar, place a 2x4 piece of lumber on top of of rebar caps to provide extra protection from impalement and injuries.
4. Guard against minor scrapes and injuries, by placing a steel-reinforced "mushroom" cap on the ends of rebar. Although these caps are small, they provide effective protection from minor cuts and injuries.
5. Another option is to bend rebar so that exposed ends are no longer upright can also be effective in preventing injuries and impalement.