Protruding steel reinforcing bars must be guarded.  Impalement onto rebar can cause serious internal injuries or death.

Acceptable methods of rebar protection are bending rebar so exposed ends are no longer upright or the use of rebar caps or wooden troughs.

All rebar caps are not created equal.  The OSHA Standard states that rebar “be guarded to eliminate the hazard of impalement.”  Sometimes the force caused by the fall can cause the rebar to push through a plastic cap and impale the worker…in violation of the above Standard.

California does not allow mushroom caps to be used for rebar protection.  Not so at the federal level.  According to Standard Interpretation Letter dated 5/29/1997.  “There is no change in OSHA policy nor is there a ban on the general use of the small plastic (mushroom) rebar caps as recommended by their manufacturer.”  The letter further states that when working at grade, mushroom caps protect against abrasions and cuts.  It is the employer’s responsibility to determine the proper way to protect workers from impalement hazards.

Only rebar caps offering impalement protection (usually with steel reinforcement) should be used when workers are working at height above rebar. 

Fall prevention/protection is the first line of defense against impalement hazards.