Rebar and Impalement Protection
29 CFR 1926.701 · This talk in Spanish
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Why it matters
Exposed vertical rebar is a bed of spears. OSHA requires guarding every piece of sticking up rebar a worker could fall onto, so it cannot impale them. OSHA also says plain mushroom caps usually protect only from scrapes and cuts, not impalement.
Hazards
- ⚠ Falls onto exposed vertical rebar and dowels
- ⚠ Mushroom caps that prevent scratches but not impalement
- ⚠ Working at height above unguarded steel
- ⚠ Cut rebar ends and tie wire slicing hands and shins
- ⚠ Carrying bundles through congested mats
Controls and safe practices
- ✓ Guard all protruding rebar a worker could fall onto, per 1926.701(b): steel-reinforced caps, troughs, or bend the steel over.
- ✓ Plastic mushroom caps alone are for scratch protection only; impalement requires rated caps or wooden troughs.
- ✓ Eliminate work above exposed steel where possible; sequence pours and steel so falls cannot land on dowels.
- ✓ Wear cut-resistant gloves and shin protection when tying and walking mats.
- ✓ Keep walk paths through mats planked and clear.
- ✓ Inspect caps and troughs daily, and replace any that are cracked, loose, or missing.
What OSHA says
Exact words from the official text, with a link to each paragraph.
“All protruding reinforcing steel, onto and into which employees could fall, shall be guarded to eliminate the hazard of impalement.”
“What the industry commonly refers to as "mushroom caps" typically provide protection only from abrasions and cuts.”
“We would consider protective devices (covers or wooden troughs) for rebar that are capable of withstanding at least 250 pounds dropped from a height of 10 feet to be adequate to meet the §1926.701(b) rebar requirements.”
“The cap must be large enough to dissipate the forces of impact to prevent impalement from a reasonably foreseeable fall distance.”
Site check before the talk
Walk the site and tick each line. Each line comes from the text quoted above.
- ☐Every piece of sticking up rebar that someone could fall onto is guarded against impalement. (29 CFR 1926.701(b))
- ☐Plain mushroom caps are treated as scratch and cut protection only, not impalement protection. (OSHA Standard Interpretation, April 24, 2006)
- ☐Covers and wooden troughs used for impalement are rated to hold at least 250 pounds dropped from 10 feet. (OSHA Standard Interpretation, April 24, 2006)
- ☐Caps are big enough to stop impalement from the fall height workers could have here. (OSHA Standard Interpretation, April 24, 2006)
Quotes checked word for word against the official OSHA text on October 5, 2026. This is a summary for a crew talk, not legal advice; the full official text governs. How we check
Crew discussion questions
- Where is exposed vertical steel on this site right now, and how is it guarded?
- Are any of our caps the scratch-only type where fall exposure exists?
- Who works above steel today, and can that be re-sequenced?
- Are the mat walk paths actually planked?
Applicable OSHA standards
29 CFR 1926.701
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