Plastic caps for steel fence posts are a common sight on construction sites, but according to Anthony Burr, founder of Safety Pickets, Inc., their low upfront price is misleading once the true costs of failures and replacements are considered. Burr, who spent years as a concreter working around exposed steel star pickets (known as steel T-posts in the US), invented a reusable steel cap to address the problem. His comparison of costs reveals a stark difference between the initial outlay for plastic caps and the potential expenses after a single incident.
Burr points to a case in Australia where uncovered posts led to a fall and a fine of $115,000. That figure, he notes, excludes site shutdown costs, medical bills, and legal claims. For contractors, the gap between a few hundred dollars for caps and a six-figure penalty is difficult to ignore. Even minor injuries, such as a cut requiring stitches, can cost tens of thousands when factoring in medical bills and lost workdays.
Beyond liability, Burr argues that plastic caps carry hidden replacement costs. They break, blow away, and degrade in sunlight, requiring frequent repurchasing. A company analysis shows that covering 1,000 posts over five years with reusable steel caps yields a 60 percent saving compared to continually buying plastic ones. Steel caps do not rust and likely outlast the posts themselves. Labor is another overlooked expense: plastic caps must be installed and removed each time posts are used, adding half an hour per task, which quickly accumulates. The company details how reusable steel caps reduce replacement and waste on its sustainability page.
Liability extends beyond one's own crew. Burr emphasizes that trespassers, even those intoxicated, can sue if injured on an exposed post. In the US, where such claims are common, this risk should factor into decisions about covering steel. For contractors still relying on plastic caps because nothing has gone wrong, Burr's advice is blunt: "If something can go wrong, then it will." He urges calculating replacement caps over years, labor hours, and the realistic cost of a single injury against the one-time cost of reusable caps. Safety Pickets, Inc. designs and manufactures a patented, reusable steel safety cap for star pickets and T-posts, currently sold in Australia and expanding into the US market. Learn more at safetypickets.com.
