Anthony Burr, a former concreter, has turned a common jobsite frustration into a patented safety product now available through Bunnings Warehouse stores across Australia. The Safety Pickets steel cap replaces single-use plastic caps that frequently crack, snap, and blow away, leaving sharp steel exposed on active construction sites. The product is designed to be reusable and is made from high-strength low-alloy steel, addressing both safety and environmental concerns.
Burr's inspiration came on a rainy Saturday when he was forced to leave a jobsite to purchase more plastic caps after they failed to protect exposed star pickets over the weekend. “That's when the idea came to me, and I thought, I'm going to explore this and see if we can create a solution,” Burr said. Despite initial skepticism from manufacturers who told him it was impossible, Burr persisted and eventually found a partner willing to develop a steel alternative. The first prototype was bulky and required welding, but the current design is lightweight and presses directly onto the picket, eliminating extra labor on site.
The product has secured patents in Australia, New Zealand, Europe, and the United States, and its safety benefits have led to a distribution agreement with Bunnings Warehouse, the largest hardware chain in Australia. This direct partnership bypasses regional distributors, ensuring wide availability. The steel cap is built to eliminate sharp edges and reduce injury risk, while also reducing plastic waste that typically ends up in landfills or as roadside litter.
With the Bunnings rollout underway, Burr is now focusing on the US market. He has already engaged with contacts in Florida's road and infrastructure sector, indicating early interest. For Burr, the product's origin story is key: “A tool built out of genuine, repeated frustration on a real jobsite, rather than a corporate research exercise, is what he believes will resonate with US buyers and partners.”
Safety Pickets, Inc. was founded to solve a problem Burr witnessed firsthand: plastic caps failing and exposing sharp steel. The company's patented steel cap is now available through Bunnings in Australia and is expanding into the US. More details about the cap's construction and applications can be found on the Safety Pickets product page.
