Safety device

Abstract

A protective cap, for preventing impalement injury on rebar, comprising a tubular socket to receive an end of a length of rebar, the socket being attached to a sleeve defining a channel to receive and enclose a length of timber. Caps are also provided having a releasable gripper to grip the end of rebar.

1 - 17 . (canceled) 
     
     
         18 . A protective cap, for preventing impalement injury on rebar, comprising:
 a tubular socket to receive an end of a length of rebar;   said socket being attached to a sleeve defining a channel to receive and enclose a length of timber;   and wherein the axes of said socket and said channel are substantially perpendicular to each other, and said socket is provided with a gripper comprising one or more resiliently-deformable elongate fins located on the inside surface of said socket to releasably grip, in use, a length of rebar inserted therein.   
     
     
         19 . A protective cap according to  claim 18  wherein said this extend generally longitudinally along said socket and extend inwardly, but offset from a diameter of said socket. 
     
     
         20 . A protective cap according to  claim 18  wherein said fins have a rounded edge at the end of the fin closest to the open end of the socket. 
     
     
         21 . A protective cap according to  claim 18  comprising two sets of fins, the first set of fins extending further into the interior of the socket that the second set, and wherein said second set extends longitudinally closer to the open end of the socket than the first set. 
     
     
         22 . A protective cap according to  claim 18  wherein a shock absorber is provided at the closed end of said socket, adjacent said sleeve. 
     
     
         23 . A protective cap according to  claim 22  where said shock absorber comprises a deformable projection extending from the closed end of said socket towards the open end of said socket. 
     
     
         24 . A protective cap according to  claim 18  where said channel is rectangular in section. 
     
     
         25 . A protective cap according to  claim 18  wherein the external edges of said sleeve are rounded. 
     
     
         26 . A protective cap according to  claim 18  wherein the internal faces of said sleeve are provided with inwardly-extending ridges, said ridges being tapered such that they have smaller inward extent at an open end of said sleeve. 
     
     
         27 . A method of shielding the ends of reinforcing bar to reduce the risk of impalement injury comprising the steps of positioning two or more protective caps according to claim  1  on the ends of corresponding reinforcing bars and inserting a length of material through the channels of said caps. 
     
     
         28 . A protective cap according to  claim 19  wherein said fins have a rounded edge at the end of the fin closest to the open end of the socket.