Electrical · Canada

FLHA for smoke detector installation

By Safety PaperworkBuilt from provincial OHS law and CCOHS guidance · How we write and check theseUpdated November 9, 2026

Provincial OHS law requires hazards to be assessed and controlled before work starts. A field level hazard assessment (FLHA) for smoke detector installation is done on site at the start of the shift and again whenever conditions change.

It lists the tasks, hazards and controls, and every worker signs on before starting and signs off at the end of the shift. The main hazards are electric shock from live wiring, falling through a floor opening or void, falling from a ladder and heat stress.

Make this FLHA now Word template PDF

FLHA example: smoke detector installation

This is a complete FLHA for smoke detector installation, with 5 job steps. Open it in the builder to add your site, crew and signatures, change anything, and download a PDF. Or download the free Word template below and fill it in by hand.

Field Level Hazard Assessment (FLHA)

Install smoke detectors · Electrical · Example

Document FLHA-001 · Rev 1

Job steps, hazards and controls

#	Job step	Hazards	Risk before	Controls	Risk after
1	Plan alarm locations and let the occupants know	Working in an occupied home or building	Medium	Plan noisy, dusty or risky work for when the building is empty. Elimination Close off the work area with barriers, plastic sheeting or locked doors, and put up signs. Engineering (guarding) Keep fire exits and paths clear at all times. Administrative Tell occupants before you turn off power, water or gas, and before noisy or dusty work. Administrative Lock away tools, chemicals and materials each day, out of reach of children. Administrative Clean up dust and debris at the end of each day. Administrative	Low
2	Isolate the circuit for hard wired alarms, apply lockout and tags and prove dead	Electric shock from live wiring	Critical	Isolate the power before any work. Do not work live. Elimination Lock out and tag the isolation point with your own personal lock and danger tag. Engineering (guarding) Test before you touch: prove dead at the point of work with a tested voltage tester. Engineering Only licensed electricians do electrical work, to the Canadian Electrical Code and provincial rules. Administrative Check for back feeds from solar, batteries and generators that can keep a circuit live after the main switch is off. Administrative If energized work cannot be avoided, use a permit, a safety observer and insulated tools, following CSA Z462. Administrative Wear insulated gloves, arc-rated clothing and a face shield when testing or working near live parts. PPE	Medium
3	Set up a platform ladder and cut ceiling holes, wearing glasses and a dust mask	Falling from a ladder General dust Eye injuries	High	Use a platform ladder, mobile scaffold or aerial work platform for longer jobs instead of a straight ladder. Substitution Use CSA Grade 1, 1A or 1AA ladders in good condition. Remove any damaged ladder from site. Engineering Set extension ladders at a 4 to 1 angle on firm, level ground, tied or footed, and reaching 1 metre above the landing. Engineering Use ladders only for short, light work. Do not carry heavy or awkward loads up a ladder. Administrative Keep three points of contact and your belt buckle between the side rails. Do not overreach. Administrative Use low-dust products, such as dust-reduced or pre-mixed compounds. Substitution Seal off the work area with plastic sheeting in occupied buildings. Engineering (guarding) Use tools with dust extraction and a vacuum for clean up. Engineering Lightly mist the area with water to keep dust down, away from anything electrical. Engineering Never dry sweep or blow dust off with compressed air. Administrative Use tool guards and screens to stop flying particles. Engineering Use dust extraction and water to keep dust out of the air. Engineering Keep others out of the area when cutting, grinding or chipping. Administrative Keep an eye wash station or eye wash bottles on site. Administrative Wear safety glasses at all times, goggles for dust and chemicals, and a face shield for grinding. PPE	Medium
4	Run cable in the ceiling space, staying on joists	Falling through a floor opening or void Heat stress	Critical	Cover every hole and penetration with a fixed, secured cover marked "HOLE" or "DANGER". Engineering (guarding) Put guardrails with toe boards around stairwells, lift shafts, voids and open edges. Engineering (guarding) Install stairs early and fit temporary handrails as soon as they go in. Engineering Never remove a cover or guardrail without approval. Put it back straight away. Administrative Inspect covers and barriers daily and after other trades have been through. Administrative Keep lighting good enough to see openings, especially on lower floors and in the evening. Administrative Use a harness clipped to a rated anchor when working right next to an open void. PPE Schedule heavy work for the cooler part of the day. Elimination Provide shade over work and rest areas, and fans or cooling in attics. Engineering Supply cool drinking water close by and drink a cup every 15 to 20 minutes. Administrative Take regular rest breaks in the shade, more often as it gets hotter. Administrative Let new and returning workers build up to full work in the heat over about a week. Administrative Watch each other for dizziness, headache, confusion or stopping sweating. Stop work, cool down and get help. Administrative Have a hot weather plan, including when work stops. Administrative Wear light, loose, long-sleeved clothing, a hat or brim, and sunscreen. PPE	Medium
5	Connect and test every alarm, then clean up	Electric shock from live wiring Poor housekeeping and waste	Critical	Electric shock from live wiring: see step 2 for the full controls Administrative Order materials to size and send packaging back where you can. Elimination Put waste bins and chutes close to the work. Engineering Clean as you go, and do a full clean up at the end of each day. Administrative Keep exits, stairs and walkways clear at all times. Administrative Stack materials neatly on level ground, away from edges. Administrative Wear gloves when handling waste. PPE	Medium

PPE

CSA green triangle safety boots (CSA Z195)Safety glasses (CSA Z94.3)N95 respiratorRubber insulating glovesArc flash PPE (CSA Z462)Hard hat (CSA Z94.1)Safety gogglesFace shieldSun protection (sunscreen, hat, long sleeves)Work gloves

Plant and equipment

Platform ladderPower drillElectrical test meterHand tools

Permits and plans

Lockout permit

Emergency

Call 911. Add the nearest hospital, the muster point and the first aid attendant for your site.

Sign-off

Supervisor and every worker sign to confirm they have read and understood this FLHA, then sign off at the end of the shift.

Free FLHA template for smoke detector installation

Word (.docx) and PDF, Letter landscape, no email needed. Fill in your site details, then print or send it.

Word template (.docx)PDF template

Make yours in 2 minutes

Same document, filled in for your job. Answer a few yes or no questions, the crew signs on the phone, and you send the PDF.

Start this FLHA

Pre-start checklist for smoke detector installation

Tick these off before work starts. They come from the hazards, permits and equipment in this job.

FLHA read, explained and signed by everyone on the job
Openings, voids and penetrations covered and marked
Ladder inspected, secured and extending 1 m above the landing
Lockout, tagout and test before touch done before work starts
Weather checked: water, shade and rest breaks planned
First aid attendant, first aid kit and emergency number (911) confirmed
PPE checked and worn: CSA green triangle safety boots (CSA Z195), safety glasses (CSA Z94.3), N95 respirator, rubber insulating gloves

The safe sequence of work

Plan alarm locations and let the occupants know
Isolate the circuit for hard wired alarms, apply lockout and tags and prove dead
Set up a platform ladder and cut ceiling holes, wearing glasses and a dust mask
Run cable in the ceiling space, staying on joists
Connect and test every alarm, then clean up

Hazards to watch on smoke detector installation

The hazards most specific to this job, and the step where each one comes up.

Step 4Heat stressHard work in hot weather or hot attics causes heat exhaustion or heat stroke, which can kill.

Step 1Working in an occupied home or buildingResidents, staff or children wander into the work area and get hurt, or the work blocks exits or cuts off power or water while people are inside.

Step 4Falling through a floor opening or voidA worker steps into an open hole, stairwell, lift shaft or penetration and falls to the level below.

Step 3Eye injuriesFlying chips, dust, chemicals or sparks get into the eye and cause damage or blindness.

Step 3General dustDust from drywall, joint compound, cement and clean up irritates eyes and lungs and makes it hard to see.

Step 3Falling from a ladderThe ladder slips or tips, or the worker overreaches, and they fall onto a hard surface.

Highest risk on smoke detector installation: Critical before controls (B), down to Medium after controls (A), on the Canada 5 by 5 risk matrix (possible and fatality becomes unlikely and serious injury).

What changes on your site

This example covers the job itself. Your site may add more. Add controls for any of these that apply (the builder asks you these as yes or no questions):

Could anyone fall 3 metres or more, or fall any distance into machinery, water, a hazardous substance or through an opening?
Will anyone work on a roof?
Is there a fragile roof, skylight or clear roof sheet?
Will you use a scaffold or mobile tower?
Will you use an aerial work platform (scissor lift or boom lift)?

Why FLHAs get rejected

Prime contractors and COR auditors send documents back for these reasons. This example avoids them, but check yours too.

End of shift boxes already say "None" when the form was signed at the start of the shift.
One FLHA reused for days or weeks, or a "review by" date a month away, when the work and conditions change daily.
No time of assessment and no record of any revision, which Alberta s.7(3) requires.
Workers signed that they "read" it, but nothing shows they took part, which Alberta s.8(1) requires.
Work at height with no fall protection plan where the province requires one, or no written rescue procedure for workers using fall arrest.
Permits or locates required on site but no permit or ticket numbers recorded.
No re-assessment entry after an obvious change such as weather, a new task or a new crew member.

Rules by province for smoke detector installation

Province or territory	Key local rule	Regulator
Ontario	Fall protection (O. Reg. 213/91 s.26) applies at a fall of more than 3 m, more than 1.2 m where the work area is used as a path for a wheelbarrow or similar equipment, and at any height into operating machinery, water or other liquid, a hazardous substance, or through an opening.	Ontario Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development
British Columbia	Fall protection is required where a fall of 3 m or more may occur (s.11.2). A written fall protection plan is required at 7.5 m or more where there are no permanent guardrails (s.11.3).	WorkSafeBC
Alberta	A hazard assessment must be done before work begins, and before a new work site is built (OHS Code s.7(1)). The results must be written down with the controls (s.7(2)).	Alberta Occupational Health and Safety
Quebec	Guardrails (Safety Code s.2.9.1, as amended by Decret 63-2025) are needed where a worker could fall into liquid or a hazardous substance, onto moving parts or dangerous equipment, 1.2 m or more when using a vehicle, 1.5 m or more when handling a load, and more than 3 m in all other cases.	CNESST (Commission des normes, de l'equite, de la sante et de la securite du travail)
Manitoba	A prime contractor is required whenever more than one employer or self employed person works on the site at the same time (Act s.7).	Manitoba Workplace Safety and Health Branch
Saskatchewan	An occupational health committee is required at 10 or more workers of one employer (Act s.3-22).	Saskatchewan Ministry of Labour Relations and Workplace Safety, OHS Division
Nova Scotia	Workers must be trained in fall protection before using it or working in, supervising or planning work in a fall protection area, with a refresher at least every 3 years (WHSR s.21.19).	Nova Scotia Department of Labour, Skills and Immigration, Safety Branch (OHS)
New Brunswick	Fall protection is needed from 3 m above water or the nearest permanent safe level (Reg 91-191 s.49(1)(a)(i)).	WorkSafeNB
Newfoundland and Labrador	Give written notice to the minister before starting a construction project that will last 30 days or more, with the site, location, type of work and number of workers (Regs s.8).	Government Services, Occupational Health and Safety Division
Prince Edward Island	Fall protection is needed from 3 m above the nearest safe surface or water (Fall Protection Regulations s.2(1)(a)).	Workers Compensation Board of PEI, OHS Division
Yukon	Every employer must do hazard assessments with the committee, representative or workers, and redo them after significant changes or incidents (Regs s.1.03.01).	Yukon Workers' Safety and Compensation Board
Northwest Territories	Fall protection is needed from 3 m, or lower if there is a risk of injury (s.119(1)). Guardrails are needed for falls of 1.2 m to 3 m at permanent work sites (s.119(2)).	Workers' Safety and Compensation Commission (WSCC)
Nunavut	No 911. To reach the RCMP in an emergency, dial your community's first three digits then 1111 (Iqaluit: 979-1111). Put the local fire, ambulance and RCMP numbers on every FLHA.	Workers' Safety and Compensation Commission (WSCC)

Questions

Do I need an FLHA for smoke detector installation?

Who signs the FLHA?

The supervisor and every worker take part in the assessment and sign on before work starts, then sign off at the end of the shift. Review it and re-sign whenever the task or conditions change.

How long do I keep it?

Keep completed hazard assessments for at least 3 years (COR auditors sample the last 12 months). Review this FLHA and re-sign whenever the task, crew or conditions change.

What PPE is needed for smoke detector installation?

Usually CSA green triangle safety boots (CSA Z195), Safety glasses (CSA Z94.3), N95 respirator, Rubber insulating gloves, Arc flash PPE (CSA Z462), Hard hat (CSA Z94.1), Safety goggles, Face shield, Sun protection (sunscreen, hat, long sleeves), Work gloves. The site rules may add more, so check with the general contractor.

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Blank FLHA template: free FLHA templates. Also for other countries: Australia (SWMS) · United Kingdom (RAMS) · United States (JHA)