Job Hazard Analysis: Rebar placement

A general example for this task. Your JHA should reflect your crew, equipment and site — review it with a competent person before work starts.

Steps, hazards and controls

1. 1. Unload and stage rebar bundles

   • Struck by a swinging or falling rebar bundle during forklift, telehandler, or crane unloadingHigh
     • Keep everyone out of the swing and drop zone. Mark it with cones or caution tape.
     • Only a certified operator runs the forklift or telehandler. Use a qualified rigger and one signal person for crane picks.
     • Inspect slings and chokers before each pick. Use tag lines to control long bundles. Never stand under a load.
     • Wear a hard hat, hi-vis vest, and steel-toe boots.
   • Back strain and crushed fingers from hand-carrying heavy or long barsMedium
     • Land bundles as close to the work area as possible on dunnage (wood blocking) so bars are off the ground.
     • Carry long bars with two people, one at each end, on the same shoulder. Call out before you drop the bar.
     • Wear leather gloves when handling bars.

2. 2. Cut and bend rebar with rebar cutter/bender or abrasive chop saw

   • Flying bar ends, sparks, and wheel fragments from the chop saw or cutterMedium
     • Use a hydraulic or electric rebar cutter instead of an abrasive saw when you can.
     • Keep saw guards in place. Check the wheel RPM rating matches the saw. Point sparks away from people and anything that burns.
     • Wear safety glasses plus a face shield when using the abrasive saw.
   • Hands caught in the bender or cutter jawsMedium
     • Keep hands at least 6 in from the jaws. Feed the bar from the far end.
     • Unplug the tool before clearing jams or changing dies.
     • Do not wear loose gloves near moving parts of the bender.
   • Electric shock from damaged cords or tools in wet conditionsMedium
     • Plug all tools into a GFCI. Inspect cords before use and tag out any with cut jackets or missing ground pins.
     • Keep cords out of water and off rebar mats where they can get cut.
   • High noise from the chop sawLow
     • Set up the saw away from other workers.
     • Wear earplugs or earmuffs while cutting.

3. 3. Place bars and set chairs in footings and slabs

   • Impalement from falling onto vertical dowels or starter barsHigh
     • Bend over dowel tops or cover them with impalement-rated steel-reinforced caps or wood troughs before working near them. Standard plastic mushroom caps only protect against scrapes, not impalement.
     • Do not walk or work above uncovered vertical bars.
   • Trips and ankle injuries walking on rebar matsMedium
     • Lay plywood walk boards across mats for main travel paths.
     • Step in the open squares or on bar intersections, not on single bars. Keep wire spools and tools off walk paths.
   • Cave-in or falls at footing excavation edgesMedium
     • Keep bundles and spoil at least 2 ft back from the edge.
     • Do not enter a trench 5 ft or deeper until the competent person confirms a protective system is in place.
   • Back strain from long periods bent overMedium
     • Rotate tasks between placing and tying. Take short stretch breaks.
     • Use a long-handle tying tool or battery rebar tier to reduce bending.

4. 4. Tie intersections with tie wire

   • Cuts and punctures from sharp tie-wire endsMedium
     • Twist and bend wire tails down and away from walking and working surfaces.
     • Wear cut-resistant gloves and long sleeves.
   • Heat illness from working on hot steel in sunHigh
     • Schedule heavy tying early in the day. Set up shade near the work.
     • Drink water every 15 minutes, rest in shade, and let new workers build up to full shifts over the first week.
     • Watch each other for dizziness, confusion, or stopping sweating. Report it right away.

5. 5. Set and tie wall and column rebar curtains

   • Falls while climbing or working on rebar curtains 6 ft or more above a lower levelHigh
     • Work from a scaffold, aerial lift, or ladder instead of climbing the steel when possible.
     • When on the curtain at 6 ft or more, use a positioning device (harness with rebar hooks) or a personal fall arrest system. Stay tied off 100% of the time.
     • Inspect harness and lanyard before every use and remove damaged gear.
   • Collapse of an unbraced wall or column cageHigh
     • Guy or brace wall curtains and column cages as you build them. Do not remove bracing until forms hold the steel.
     • Competent person checks bracing before anyone climbs, and after high wind.
     • Keep the area on the low side of the curtain clear.
   • Dropped tools or bars striking workers belowMedium
     • Tether tying tools and keep spare bars off the top of curtains. Barricade below overhead work.
     • Wear hard hats at all times.

6. 6. Guard protruding rebar and inspect before the pour

   • Impalement and cuts to other trades from exposed bar endsHigh
     • Walk the whole area and guard every exposed bar end before leaving. Use impalement-rated caps or troughs where someone could fall on them.
     • Replace missing or broken caps right away. Foreman checks caps at end of shift.

7. 7. Clean up scrap and tools

   • Cuts and trips from scrap rebar and wire offcutsMedium
     • Pick up scrap and wire offcuts as you go. Put them in a designated scrap bin, not on the ground.
     • Restack leftover bars on dunnage, sorted by size, with ends flagged.
   • Electrical and trip hazards from cords left on the groundLow
     • Unplug, coil, and store cords and tools in the gang box.