Reinforcing steel is the awkward anchor. It is everywhere on a concrete frame, it is the obvious thing to clip to, and its ribbed surface and irregular spacing suit almost no standard connector. A rebar hook is shaped for it: a wide 60 mm gate that goes over bar and around cages, in aluminium so it can be carried all day on a lanyard. Dual classified A and T under BS EN 362, meaning it works both as an anchor connector and as a termination. Updated in 2021 with bevelled rather than rounded aluminium.
Key Features
- Shaped for reinforcing bar: The 60 mm gate and throat geometry suit rebar and cage steel rather than the tube or plate a general connector expects.
- Class A and Class T: Dual classified as both an anchor connector and a termination connector, which is unusual and gives more approved applications than either alone.
- Aluminium construction: Substantially lighter than steel, which matters on a lanyard worn through a full shift on a concrete frame.
- Double action locking: Locks automatically on closing, releases through a deliberate two-stage action. Nothing to remember when clipping repeatedly.
- 2021 design update: Bevelled edges replacing the earlier rounded profile.
- 20 kN breaking strength: Above the EN 362 requirement.
Technical Specifications
| Property |
Value |
| Product Code |
FA 50 214 60 |
| Material |
Aluminium, bevelled (2021 design) |
| Breaking Strength |
20 kN |
| Gate Opening |
60 mm |
| Operating Type |
Double action locking |
| Conformity |
BS EN 362 Class A & Class T |
| PPE Category |
Category III |
BS EN 362 Class A & T | Double Action Locking | 20 kN | Category III PPE
Conforms to BS EN 362 Class A for anchor connectors and Class T for termination connectors. Double action locking mechanism. Category III personal protective equipment under Regulation (EU) 2016/425, supplied with a Declaration of Conformity. Requires inspection by a competent person at intervals not exceeding 12 months and immediate withdrawal after arresting a fall.
Suitable Applications
Rebar hooks are standard on concrete frame construction: fixing reinforcement, formwork and shuttering, slab and column work, bridge and civils projects, and precast installation. On a reinforcing cage there is often no other anchor available, and a rebar hook lets a fixer clip to the steel they are already working on. The aluminium construction matters here more than in most applications, because a rebar fixer is on the move constantly and carrying a twin-tail lanyard all shift.
More About This Product
Connectors are bought on price more often than any other component in a fall protection system, and they are the component where that is least sensible. A karabiner is the single point through which the entire system passes, and the difference between a good one and a poor one is measured in how the gate behaves after two years on site rather than in how it performs new.
The practical differences show up in use. A gate that is stiff with a glove on gets clipped carelessly. A connector too small for the anchor gets forced. One too large rolls out. None of these is a rating problem, and none of them appears on a spec sheet.
Gate Types, Roll-Out and Choosing by Anchor
Gate mechanism determines how a connector is used in practice. A screwgate is secure and slow, needing a deliberate twist to lock — and it is the one most often left unlocked, because locking it is a separate action nobody sees you skip. A twist-lock or triple-action gate locks automatically, which removes that failure mode entirely at the cost of being fiddlier with heavy gloves.
Roll-out is the failure mode that surprises people. A correctly rated connector can twist and come out of an anchor point that is too wide, too flat or awkwardly shaped, under load, without anything breaking. It is a geometry problem, not a strength problem, and no amount of extra rating prevents it. Where the anchor is a wide flat plate or a large eye, a connector with a captive-eye or a purpose-shaped body is the answer.
Gate opening is the dimension to check before buying a fleet. A connector that will not fit the anchor points on your site is useless whatever its rating, and the discovery is normally made on the day by someone who then improvises.
How to Use the Rebar Hook
- Assess the rebar as an anchor: Reinforcing steel varies enormously in its capacity to arrest a fall depending on bar size, tying, and whether the cage is fixed or free-standing. Not all rebar is a suitable anchor.
- Clip on and confirm it has locked: Attempt to open the gate without operating the mechanism.
- Check for roll-out: A large hook on a bar can rotate into a position where it levers against adjacent steel. Confirm it cannot.
- Load along the spine: Never load the gate.
- Watch for abrasion: Ribbed reinforcing bar is abrasive and aluminium wears against it faster than steel would.
- Keep the mechanism clean: Concrete dust and slurry work into a double action mechanism readily.
Warning: Not all reinforcing steel is a suitable fall arrest anchor. A free-standing or lightly tied cage may not withstand fall arrest forces. Assess before clipping on. Aluminium may crack under impact without visible deformation, so any dropped connector must be withdrawn.
Safety Information
- For use only by trained and competent persons within a safe system of work.
- Assess the reinforcing steel's capacity to withstand fall arrest forces before use.
- Confirm the gate has locked after every connection.
- Check the hook cannot lever open against adjacent steel.
- Withdraw and examine after any drop from height.
- Inspect for abrasion wear from contact with ribbed bar.
- Withdraw immediately after arresting a fall.
- Inspection by a competent person required at intervals not exceeding 12 months.
Inspection and Maintenance
Concrete work is unusually hard on connectors. Ribbed reinforcing bar abrades aluminium, and concrete dust and slurry find their way into every mechanism, so inspect the throat and gate nose for wear and clean the mechanism regularly. Check the double action locks under its own action every time and requires the full two-stage sequence to open. Look for hairline cracking around the gate pivot and nose, since aluminium cracks where steel would bend, and treat any drop from height as grounds for withdrawal. Wash off concrete residue rather than letting it set in the mechanism.
Downloads
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Is reinforcing bar a safe anchor?
Sometimes, and the distinction matters. A heavily tied cage forming part of a fixed structure may well withstand fall arrest forces. A free-standing cage or a lightly tied section may not, and it can deform or collapse. The hook is designed to fit rebar; it does not make the rebar an adequate anchor. That assessment is separate and it is yours to make.
Q: What changed in the 2021 update?
The aluminium profile changed from rounded to bevelled. If you are running a mixed fleet you may see both, and the current supply is the bevelled version.
Q: Rebar hook or scaffold hook?
Both have large gates, but the throat shapes differ. A rebar hook suits ribbed bar and cage steel; a scaffold hook is dimensioned for round tube. On a concrete frame with reinforcement everywhere, the rebar hook is the right shape.
Q: Why is it dual classified A and T?
Class A means it may be used as an anchor connector, attaching directly to the anchor. Class T means it positions the load in a predetermined direction. On rebar work the same hook often does both jobs, so the dual classification reflects real use.
