Excavation and earthworks · Canada

FLHA for trenching

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 trenching 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 hitting underground services, being hit by heavy equipment, road traffic and trench or excavation collapse.

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FLHA example: trenching

This is a complete FLHA for trenching, with 10 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)

Trenching for services · Excavation and earthworks · Example

Document FLHA-001 · Rev 1

Job steps, hazards and controls

#	Job step	Hazards	Risk before	Controls	Risk after
1	Get utility locates, then locate and mark services on the ground	Hitting underground services Gas and fuel lines	Critical	Keep machine buckets well clear of marked services and use a spotter. Engineering (guarding) Scan the area with a cable locator before digging and mark services on the ground. Engineering Hand expose or hydrovac services before machine digging inside the locate tolerance zone. Engineering Click Before You Dig: lodge a locate request with your provincial one-call service and wait for the locates. Administrative Follow your province's ground disturbance rules and keep locate sheets on site. Administrative Keep plans or locate tickets on site and check them again if the work area grows. Administrative If you hit a service, stop, get everyone clear, and call the owner and emergency services. Administrative Wear safety boots, gloves and hi-vis when digging. PPE Isolate and purge the line before work, with the owner's approval. Elimination Lock off and tag the isolation valve. Engineering (guarding) Check for leaks with a gas detector before and during work, and ventilate the area. Engineering Only licensed gas fitters work on gas lines. Administrative Remove ignition sources: no smoking, no hot work and no sparking tools near the line. Administrative Know where the shut-off valve is and what to do if a leak happens. Administrative Wear safety glasses and gloves, and keep a fire extinguisher close by. PPE	Medium
2	Check for overhead power lines and plan where the machine and spoil will go	Contact with overhead power lines Being hit by heavy equipment	Critical	Ask the utility to de-energize, move or insulate the lines before work starts. Elimination Use non-conductive (fibreglass) ladders near any power lines. Substitution Mark the safe distance with flags, tape or goal posts and keep all equipment and people outside it. Engineering (guarding) Keep to the provincial limits of approach and contact the utility before working near lines. Administrative Use a dedicated spotter whenever equipment moves or raises anything near lines. Administrative Treat all lines as live. If equipment touches a line, stay in the cab and keep everyone well away. Administrative Separate people and equipment with barriers, exclusion zones and marked walkways. Engineering (guarding) Use equipment with working backup alarms, cameras and lights. Engineering Have a site traffic plan showing equipment routes, loading areas and pedestrian paths. Administrative Use a spotter when backing up or working near people. Administrative Make eye contact with the operator before going near. Stay out of the swing radius. Administrative Operators are trained and competent for each machine. Administrative Do a pre-start check on each machine every day and record it. Administrative Wear hi-vis clothing and a hard hat. PPE	Medium
3	Pothole by hand or vacuum to expose marked services	Hitting underground services Lifting and carrying heavy loads	Critical	Hitting underground services: see step 1 for the full controls Administrative Plan to avoid carrying: have materials delivered, and old items picked up, as close as possible to where they are used. Elimination Use lighter or smaller loads: order smaller bags and shorter lengths, and drain or break down old items before moving them. Substitution Use trolleys, pallet jacks, hoists, vacuum lifters or equipment instead of carrying by hand. Engineering Use a two-person lift for anything heavy, long or awkward. Plan the route first and clear it. Administrative Keep the load close, back straight and no twisting. Turn with your feet. Administrative Rotate tasks and take breaks on long lifting jobs. Administrative Wear gloves for grip and safety boots to protect your feet. PPE	Medium
4	Set an exclusion zone and a spotter around the excavator	Being hit by heavy equipment Road traffic	Critical	Being hit by heavy equipment: see step 2 for the full controls Administrative Do the work at low-traffic times, or close the road or lane with approval. Elimination Put solid barriers between the work and traffic where speeds are high, not just cones. Engineering (guarding) Use a truck-mounted attenuator or buffer vehicle on high speed roads. Engineering Set up signs and cones to your provincial traffic control manual, with trained traffic control persons. Administrative Get a road occupancy permit from the municipality or road authority before you start. Administrative Park work vehicles to shield the work zone, with beacons on. Administrative Wear high-visibility clothing to CSA Z96. PPE	Medium
5	Dig the trench, keeping spoil back from the edge	Trench or excavation collapse Being hit by heavy equipment	Critical	Use methods that keep people out of the trench, such as directional boring or working from the surface. Elimination Barricade or cover the excavation so people and equipment cannot fall in. Engineering (guarding) Trench or excavation collapse: see step 6 for the full controls Administrative Being hit by heavy equipment: see step 2 for the full controls Administrative	Medium
6	Shore, slope or use a trench box in any trench deeper than 1.2 m (1.5 m in Alberta and Manitoba) before anyone goes in	Trench or excavation collapse	Critical	Use methods that keep people out of the trench, such as directional boring or working from the surface. Elimination Barricade or cover the excavation so people and equipment cannot fall in. Engineering (guarding) Shore, slope or use a trench box in any trench deeper than 1.2 metres (1.5 metres in Alberta and Manitoba). Engineering Keep spoil, materials and equipment at least 1 metre back from the edge. Engineering Provide a safe way in and out, such as a ladder near where people work. Engineering Inspect the excavation at the start of each shift and after rain or anything that could weaken it. Record it. Administrative Never work alone in a trench. Watch for water, cracks and bulging walls, and get out if you see them. Administrative Wear a hard hat, hi-vis and safety boots. PPE	Medium
7	Barricade the trench and provide safe ladder access, pump out any water, and keep engine and pump exhaust away from the trench	Public entering the work area Falling from a ladder	High	Fence off the site with secure temporary fencing and lock the gates when you leave. Engineering (guarding) Give pedestrians a safe, marked path around the work, with ramps for strollers and wheelchairs. Engineering (guarding) Use hoarding, covered walkways or catch fans where work is above public areas. Engineering Put signs at each entry: site name, contact number and "No unauthorised entry". Administrative Make the site safe at the end of each day: cover holes, lower buckets and booms, remove ladders and lock tools away. Administrative Use a spotter when moving equipment or materials across public paths. Administrative 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 Do not stand on the top three rungs of an extension ladder or the top step of a stepladder. Administrative Check the ladder before each use: feet, rungs, side rails and locks. Administrative Wear non-slip safety boots with clean soles. PPE	Medium
8	Inspect the trench at the start of each shift and after rain	Trench or excavation collapse	Critical	Trench or excavation collapse: see step 6 for the full controls Administrative	Medium
9	Lay services, then backfill and compact in layers	Trench or excavation collapse Hand-arm and whole-body vibration Loud noise Lifting and carrying heavy loads	Critical	Trench or excavation collapse: see step 6 for the full controls Administrative Use low-vibration tools and methods, such as a breaker on an excavator instead of a hand jackhammer. Substitution Keep tools sharp and well maintained, and use anti-vibration handles and seats. Engineering Limit trigger time on high-vibration tools and rotate workers. Administrative Keep hands warm and dry, and take regular breaks. Administrative Use quieter tools and methods, such as cut-to-size materials, low-noise machines and battery tools. Substitution Keep noisy equipment away from work areas, and use screens or distance between the noise and people. Engineering (guarding) Keep tools maintained and use mufflers on compressors and generators. Engineering Limit time on noisy tools and rotate workers. Administrative Lifting and carrying heavy loads: see step 3 for the full controls Administrative	Medium
10	Reinstate the surface and clean up the road and sidewalk	Poor housekeeping and waste Road traffic	Critical	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 Road traffic: see step 4 for the full controls Administrative	Medium

PPE

CSA green triangle safety boots (CSA Z195)High-visibility vest (CSA Z96)Hard hat (CSA Z94.1)Safety glasses (CSA Z94.3)Hearing protectionWork gloves

Plant and equipment

Excavator: Provincial operator trainingPlate tamperHand toolsDump truck: Provincial driver licence for the vehicle class

Permits and plans

Ground disturbance permit / locate

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.

Page 1 of the free trenching FLHA template: business details, job steps with hazards, risk ratings and controls

Free FLHA template for trenching

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 trenching

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
Ladder inspected, secured and extending 1 m above the landing
Overhead lines identified and safe distances marked
Locates valid and services marked
Shoring, sloping, benching or a trench box in place; spoil kept back from the edge
Exclusion zone and spotter set up for equipment and traffic
Exclusion zone below the work and public kept out
First aid attendant, first aid kit and emergency number (911) confirmed
PPE checked and worn: CSA green triangle safety boots (CSA Z195), high-visibility vest (CSA Z96), hard hat (CSA Z94.1), safety glasses (CSA Z94.3)

The safe sequence of work

Get utility locates, then locate and mark services on the ground
Check for overhead power lines and plan where the machine and spoil will go
Pothole by hand or vacuum to expose marked services
Set an exclusion zone and a spotter around the excavator
Dig the trench, keeping spoil back from the edge
Shore, slope or use a trench box in any trench deeper than 1.2 m (1.5 m in Alberta and Manitoba) before anyone goes in
Barricade the trench and provide safe ladder access, pump out any water, and keep engine and pump exhaust away from the trench
Inspect the trench at the start of each shift and after rain
Lay services, then backfill and compact in layers
Reinstate the surface and clean up the road and sidewalk

Hazards to watch on trenching

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

Step 4, 10Road trafficPassing cars and trucks hit workers or plant working on or next to a road.

Step 5, 6, 8, 9Trench or excavation collapseThe trench walls cave in and bury or crush a worker. Trenches deeper than 1.2 metres (1.5 metres in Alberta and Manitoba) need support or sloping.

Step 2Contact with overhead power linesA ladder, aerial work platform, crane, dump truck or long length of material touches or gets close to an overhead line and electrocutes people.

Step 1Gas and fuel linesDamaging or opening a gas or fuel line causes a leak, fire or explosion.

Step 9Hand-arm and whole-body vibrationLong periods on jackhammers, grinders, compactors or riding plant cause white finger, numbness and back damage.

Step 1, 3Hitting underground servicesDigging, drilling or driving pegs hits a buried power cable, gas pipe or water main, causing electrocution, explosion or flooding.

Highest risk on trenching: 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)?

Licences and legal requirements in Canada

Equipment on this job that needs a licence, ticket or training:

Excavator: Provincial operator training
Dump truck: Provincial driver licence for the vehicle class

Employers must identify hazards before work starts and control them, and workers must be told about them. A field level hazard assessment is done on site, at the start of each shift or task, and reviewed again when conditions change.

Rules that apply: Provincial OHS regulation, excavations and trenches.

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 trenching

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 trenching?

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 trenching?

Usually CSA green triangle safety boots (CSA Z195), High-visibility vest (CSA Z96), Hard hat (CSA Z94.1), Safety glasses (CSA Z94.3), Hearing protection, 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)