SafetyPaperwork
General contracting · Canada

FLHA for residential construction

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

Provincial OHS law requires hazards to be assessed and controlled before work starts. A field level hazard assessment (FLHA) for residential construction 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 falling from height, falling from a roof edge, silica dust from concrete, brick, stone and tiles and being hit by heavy equipment.

Make this FLHA nowWord templatePDF

FLHA example: residential construction

This is a complete FLHA for residential construction, with 6 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)
New home construction · General contracting · Example
Document FLHA-001 · Rev 1

Job steps, hazards and controls

#Job stepHazardsRisk beforeControlsRisk after
1Set up the site: fencing, signs, toilets, power and induction
  • Public entering the work area
  • Electric shock from cords and power tools
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 battery-powered tools where you can. Substitution
  • Use GFCI protection on all temporary power and portable tools. Engineering
  • Keep cords off the ground and out of water, using stands or hooks. Engineering
  • Check cords, plugs and tools before every use. Tag out and remove anything damaged. Administrative
  • Do not use tools in rain or wet areas unless they are rated for it. Administrative
  • Wear safety boots and dry gloves. PPE
Low
2Site cut, footings and slab
  • Being hit by heavy equipment
  • Hitting underground services
  • Trench or excavation collapse
  • Wet concrete and cement burns
Critical
  • 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
  • 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
  • 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
  • Inspect the excavation at the start of each shift and after rain or anything that could weaken it. Record it. Administrative
  • Use long-handled tools and pumps to cut down contact. Engineering
  • Wash concrete off skin straight away with clean water. Administrative
  • Have clean water and eye wash at the pour. Administrative
  • Wear waterproof gloves, long sleeves and rubber boots with pants worn over the top. PPE
Medium
3Frame and roof with scaffold and edge protection
  • Falling from height
  • Falling from a roof edge
  • Crane and lifting failure
Critical
  • Do the work from the ground where you can, for example pre-assemble on the ground or use extension poles. Elimination
  • Install guardrails or edge protection on all open edges before work starts. Engineering (guarding)
  • Use a scaffold, mobile work platform or aerial work platform instead of working off a ladder. Engineering
  • Where edge protection is not practical, use a fall restraint or fall arrest system on a rated anchor point. Engineering
  • Fall protection plan in place where required. Workers trained in fall protection (Working at Heights training in Ontario). Administrative
  • Have a rescue plan so a worker hanging in a harness can be brought down within minutes. Administrative
  • Do what you can from the ground or from a scaffold at the gutter line, for example pre-assemble parts on the ground. Elimination
  • Install edge protection or guardrails on all open roof edges before work starts. Engineering (guarding)
  • Use a perimeter scaffold with handrails and toe boards along the eaves where practical. Engineering
  • Where guardrails cannot be fitted, use fall restraint on certified roof anchors so workers cannot reach the edge. Engineering
  • Use one safe, controlled access point and keep others off the roof. Administrative
  • Barricade the lift zone and keep everyone out from under the load. Engineering (guarding)
  • Use a crane rated for the load at the radius, set up on firm ground with outrigger pads. Engineering
  • Check slings, chains, shackles and hooks before use. Remove anything damaged or not tagged. Engineering
  • Plan the lift: weight, radius, ground, path and landing area. Use a written lift plan for complex lifts. Administrative
  • Use certified crane operators and trained riggers and signallers, as your province requires. Administrative
Medium
4Lock up: brick, windows and roof covering
  • Lifting and carrying heavy loads
  • Silica dust from concrete, brick, stone and tiles
  • Glass handling and breakage
Critical
  • 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
  • Order materials cut to size, or use low-dust methods such as score and snap or a block splitter. Substitution
  • Cut outdoors or in a separate area, with other people well away and upwind. Engineering (guarding)
  • Use water on the blade or on-tool dust extraction connected to a HEPA vacuum. Engineering
  • Clean up with a vacuum or wet methods. Never dry sweep or use compressed air. Administrative
  • Have a silica exposure control plan where your province requires one. Administrative
  • Wear a fit-tested N95 (or better) respirator. PPE
  • Use suction lifters, glass trolleys or a glazing robot for large panes. Engineering
  • Store glass upright on racks and secure it. Never lay it flat or lean it loosely. Engineering
  • Use two or more people for large panes, and clear the carry route first. Administrative
  • Mark new glass with tape or stickers so nobody walks into it. Administrative
  • Clean up broken glass straight away into a marked container. Administrative
Medium
5Fit out with all trades, managing who works where
  • Slips and trips
  • Electric shock from live wiring
  • General dust
Critical
  • Plan walkways and keep them clear of materials, hoses and leads. Elimination
  • Run leads and hoses overhead on hooks or stands, or along walls, not across walkways. Engineering
  • Fill or cover holes, and lay boards or mats on muddy access paths. Engineering
  • Clean up offcuts, packaging and spills as you go, not at the end of the day. Administrative
  • Keep work areas, stairs and access paths well lit. Administrative
  • 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
  • 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
Medium
6Final clean, remove the site fence and hand over
  • Poor housekeeping and waste
Medium
  • 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
Low

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 glovesFull body harness (fall arrest)Sun protection (sunscreen, hat, long sleeves)Chemical-resistant glovesSafety gogglesKnee padsRespirator fit tested to CSA Z94.4 (P100 for dust, or the type the air test calls for)Cut-resistant glovesN95 respirator

Plant and equipment

Excavator: Provincial operator trainingConcrete pump truckMobile crane: Provincial crane operator certification, qualified riggerFrame scaffold: Provincial scaffold erector trainingNail gunCircular sawTelehandler: Provincial lift truck or telehandler operator training

Permits and plans

Roof access permitFall protection planLift plan

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 residential construction

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 residential construction

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

The safe sequence of work

  1. Set up the site: fencing, signs, toilets, power and induction
  2. Site cut, footings and slab
  3. Frame and roof with scaffold and edge protection
  4. Lock up: brick, windows and roof covering
  5. Fit out with all trades, managing who works where
  6. Final clean, remove the site fence and hand over

Hazards to watch on residential construction

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

Step 2Trench 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 3Crane and lifting failureA load falls or swings, or the crane tips, crushing workers under or near the lift.
Step 4Glass handling and breakageGlass panes break while being moved or fitted, causing deep cuts, or heavy panels fall and crush.
Step 1Electric shock from cords and power toolsDamaged cords, plugs or tools, or water near power, give the user an electric shock.
Step 2Wet concrete and cement burnsWet concrete, mortar and cement burn skin and eyes. Burns can be deep and are often not felt until later.
Step 3Falling from a roof edgeA worker slips or walks off the edge of a roof or gutter line and falls to the ground.
Almost certainLikelyPossibleUnlikelyRareHow bad it could be: First aid only to FatalityBA
Highest risk on residential construction: Critical before controls (B), down to Medium after controls (A), on the Canada 5 by 5 risk matrix (likely 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 use a ladder or stepladder?
  • Will anyone work on a roof?
  • Is there a fragile roof, skylight or clear roof sheet?
  • Will you use a scaffold or mobile tower?

Licences and legal requirements in Canada

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

  • Excavator: Provincial operator training
  • Mobile crane: Provincial crane operator certification, qualified rigger
  • Frame scaffold: Provincial scaffold erector training
  • Telehandler: Provincial lift truck or telehandler operator training

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; Provincial OHS regulation, fall protection; Provincial OHS regulation, cranes and hoisting; Provincial OHS regulation, silica exposure limits; Provincial OHS regulation, electrical safety, and CSA Z462.

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 residential construction

Province or territoryKey local ruleRegulator
OntarioFall 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 ColumbiaFall 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
AlbertaA 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
QuebecGuardrails (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)
ManitobaA 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
SaskatchewanAn 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 ScotiaWorkers 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 BrunswickFall 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 LabradorGive 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 IslandFall 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
YukonEvery 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 TerritoriesFall 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)
NunavutNo 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 residential construction?

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

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 residential construction?

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, Full body harness (fall arrest), Sun protection (sunscreen, hat, long sleeves), Chemical-resistant gloves, Safety goggles, Knee pads, Respirator fit tested to CSA Z94.4 (P100 for dust, or the type the air test calls for), Cut-resistant gloves, N95 respirator. The site rules may add more, so check with the general contractor.

More general contracting FLHAs

FLHASite Setup6 stepsFLHAHome Addition7 stepsFLHABathroom Renovation10 stepsFLHAKitchen Renovation5 stepsFLHAShed Construction5 stepsFLHAGarden Suite Construction5 stepsFLHABuilding Maintenance6 steps

Related jobs in other trades

Excavation and earthworksTrenchingAlso involves hitting underground servicesScaffoldingScaffold ErectionAlso involves public entering the work area

Toolbox talks for this job

Toolbox talkOverhead Power LinesToolbox talkExtension Leads and Power ToolsToolbox talkSilica DustToolbox talkManual Handling and Back Safety

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

Sources