Work safely with rebar
Vaughn Pugh, President of Integrity Safety Services, is keenly aware of the risks associated with exposed rebar. A staple material across modern jobsites, rebar presents an unparalleled danger when improperly handled. "Rebar is typically placed on the ground, often on a walking path or work surface," creating an ever-present hazard. "Rebar affects every worker on a site and, therefore, has a greater impact on possible injury."
Rebar Caps
In an effort to curb worksite injury, OSHA (the Occupational Safety and Health Administration) and Washington's own state-wide standards require all rebar be capped.
There are two types of standard rebar cap. Pugh explains: "One is a saddle cap. This cap has a metal plate inside of it...they're typically four inches long by four inches wide." A saddle cap is most often used with a row of vertical rebar. Once capped, workers can place a two-by-four plank atop the row to guard against impalement.
"The second is called a mushroom cap or bump cap. They're small and don't have any metal inside." Bump caps are best used on horizontal rebar to keep workers from accidentally brushing against the sharp, uncovered ends.
According to Pugh, any material similar to rebar should be capped. "As a rule of thumb, if a cap will fit on top of it, then you need to cap it."
Persistent Problems & Sanctioned Solutions
Pugh understands that despite a site's best efforts, caps can come off. "Caps typically pop off when you're working around them, which is exactly when you most need them." Pugh urges workers and their supervisors to be aware of the hazard, even when strictly following safety procedures.
In some cases, caps are simply not an option. "For example, you cannot have caps when you're building a CMU block wall. In order to slide the CMU block down over the rebar, workers have to take the rebar caps off or it won't fit through." To combat this risk, "OSHA has sanctioned an alternative where workers can build a two-by-four trough that just slips over top of the rebar. So, if you were to fall, you'd hit the trough and wouldn't be impaled."
Flying rebar poses another unique danger due to its general unpredictability and unspecified securing procedures. "Currently, there are no rules on how rebar is rigged when it is flown with a crane. It's possible that the rebar can slip out and fall, or the whole mat—if they have a rebar mat—can just shift and then the whole thing comes apart. So, the best practice when they're flying rebar is to stay out of the way. That's the only true way to protect yourself. "
Top Tips
Pre-planning is Pugh's number one rule: "If you know you're going to be putting rebar and it's going to be sticking up, then have the barrel or buckets of rebar caps handy so you don't have to stop work and leave the unprotected rebar to go to your truck and get the caps and bring them back...Have it ready to go so when you've got the rebar placed, you can cap it immediately." Staging all necessary tools nearby ensures workers won't leave uncapped rebar unattended.
If rebar cannot be capped, Pugh suggests cordoning off the area with caution tape. "Put up danger tape so workers don't enter that area." A clear warning is often enough to keep people out of the area and away from any potential hazards.
Finally, when flying rebar, Pugh says a worker's best bet is to "look up, look around, and just stay away." He continues, stating, "Rebar will bounce and go out the same distance horizontally that it fell vertically. If it's 40-feet above you, it's not uncommon for rebar to bounce and go-40 feet out." Awareness is key to preventing accidents.
Recommended Resources
In addition to the Construction Center of Excellence's own ever-growing toolkit, Pugh recommends the Department of Labor and Industry's website for additional resources regarding rebar safety. Their extensive content achieve contains a wealth of information on today's most relevant topics.
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Funding and support for this project has been provided by the State of Washington, Department of Labor & Industries, Safety & Health Investment Projects
