Anthony Burr, a former concreter, has turned a common jobsite frustration into a patented safety product. After years of dealing with plastic safety caps that cracked, snapped, and blew away from steel star pickets, Burr invented a durable steel alternative and founded Safety Pickets, Inc. The product is now available through Bunnings Warehouse stores across Australia, with plans to enter the United States market.
The problem was familiar to anyone working with star pickets or T-posts on construction sites. Exposed steel posts pose a serious injury risk, and plastic caps were the standard safety measure. However, as Burr experienced firsthand, these caps were unreliable. They degraded in sunlight, broke off in wind, and required constant replacement, leaving sharp steel exposed on active job sites. This persistent issue came to a head one rainy Saturday when Burr had to leave a site to purchase more plastic caps just to ensure safety 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. His initial attempts to find a manufacturer were met with skepticism, with many saying it was impossible. But Burr persisted, eventually finding a partner willing to try. The first prototype was bulky and required welding onto the post, but through redesign, the current version is lightweight and presses directly onto the picket, eliminating the need for extra labor on site.
Safety Pickets has secured patents for its design in Australia, New Zealand, Europe, and the United States. The product is made from high-strength low-alloy steel, designed to eliminate sharp edges and reduce injury risk. It also replaces single-use plastic caps that contribute to landfill and roadside litter. This combination of safety and sustainability has helped the company secure a distribution agreement with Bunnings Warehouse, Australia’s largest hardware and trade retailer, without intermediary distributors.
The timing aligns with growing safety expectations across construction, civil, agricultural, and municipal sectors. “We’re seeing increased demand for products that not only protect workers but also reduce environmental impact,” said Burr. The Bunnings rollout is underway in every Australian state, and Burr is now focusing on the US market. He has already engaged in conversations with contacts in Florida’s road and infrastructure sector, indicating early interest.
Burr believes the story behind the product—a solution born from genuine frustration on a real jobsite—will resonate with US buyers and partners. “This wasn’t developed in a corporate lab; it was created out of necessity,” he said. As Safety Pickets expands, it aims to provide a reliable, reusable safety solution that addresses both worker safety and environmental concerns.
For more information about the product and its applications, visit the Safety Pickets product page.
