A rebar impalement hazard is the risk of a worker falling onto or into exposed, protruding reinforcing steel and being pierced, which OSHA requires employers to guard against under 29 CFR 1926.701(b).
A rebar impalement hazard is the risk that a worker could fall onto or into protruding reinforcing steel, commonly called rebar, and be pierced by it. Rebar often sticks up from footings, walls, columns and slabs during concrete construction, and it can also protrude horizontally from walls and forms.
Under OSHA's concrete and masonry construction standard, 29 CFR 1926.701(b), "all protruding reinforcing steel, onto and into which employees could fall, shall be guarded to eliminate the hazard of impalement." OSHA has explained that when the standard was revised in 1988, its scope was expanded from vertically protruding steel to all protruding steel, and that OSHA's intent is to eliminate the hazard of impalement completely.
Impalement injuries can be catastrophic or fatal, and they can happen from relatively short falls. The hazard is closely linked to fall protection and to general jobsite safety in concrete work.
The key question is whether a worker could fall onto or into the steel. OSHA has stated that horizontal rebar close to ground level would not normally pose an impalement hazard, but that protection is needed where a worker could trip and fall into horizontal rebar. Site conditions, the height of the steel and the work being done nearby all matter.
Impalement hazards are not limited to rebar. Form stakes, anchor bolts and other protruding objects can also pierce a worker who falls on them. OSHA has said that 29 CFR 1926.701(b) itself applies only to reinforcing steel, but that the same performance benchmark used for rebar covers is an appropriate criterion for impalement protection devices on other sharp objects.
OSHA memos from 1997 state that common mushroom-style plastic rebar caps were tested and do not provide protection from impalement, even from a short fall of three feet. These caps are designed to prevent scratches and cuts. They can still be used for that purpose, but they do not meet 29 CFR 1926.701(b) where an impalement hazard exists.
OSHA has stated that covers or troughs for rebar are adequate if they can withstand at least 250 pounds dropped from a height of 10 feet. Steel-reinforced caps and wooden troughs that meet this benchmark have been recognized as acceptable. OSHA does not approve or endorse specific products, and manufacturer test data should be checked before use.
When workers are working at height above exposed rebar, OSHA describes fall protection or fall prevention as the first line of defense against impalement. Guarding the rebar does not replace fall protection required by other standards.
Use the hierarchy of controls to plan protection:
A competent person should check for impalement hazards as work progresses, since rebar exposure changes daily as forms are built and concrete is placed.
On a parking structure project, a crew was building column forms next to a row of vertical rebar dowels about 4 feet tall. The dowels had orange mushroom caps on them. During a site walk, the project's safety manager noted that workers on a ladder next to the dowels could fall onto them and that the caps would not stop impalement.
The contractor replaced the mushroom caps with wooden troughs built over each row of dowels and moved the ladder work so it was not directly above the steel. The superintendent added rebar protection to the daily inspection checklist so that troughs knocked loose by equipment were replaced before work resumed.
No. OSHA has stated that standard plastic mushroom caps do not protect against impalement and are intended only to prevent scratches and cuts.
29 CFR 1926.701(b) requires all protruding reinforcing steel onto and into which employees could fall to be guarded to eliminate the hazard of impalement.
Yes, where a worker could trip or fall into it. OSHA has said that horizontal rebar close to ground level would not normally pose an impalement hazard, but each situation must be evaluated.
OSHA has referenced a benchmark of withstanding at least 250 pounds dropped from 10 feet as appropriate for covers and troughs used for impalement protection.
No. Where workers are exposed to falls, fall protection is the first line of defense. Rebar guarding is still needed where workers could fall onto the steel.
Part of SafetyIQ's EHS glossary: plain-English definitions of workplace health and safety terms.
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