Plumbing · Canada

FLHA for toilet and faucet 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 toilet and faucet 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 lifting and carrying heavy loads, glass handling and breakage, sewage and wastewater and injury from power tools.

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FLHA example: toilet and faucet installation

This is a complete FLHA for toilet and faucet 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 a toilet, faucets or basin · Plumbing · Example

Document FLHA-001 · Rev 1

Job steps, hazards and controls

#	Job step	Hazards	Risk before	Controls	Risk after
1	Isolate water to the fixture and drain the lines	Stored energy Slips and trips	Medium	Release or block all stored energy before work: release the pressure in pipes, tanks and hoses, bleed hydraulics, release springs, lower loads. Elimination Lock out and tag all energy sources with personal locks. Engineering (guarding) Put mechanical blocks or props under raised parts like buckets, tipper bodies and doors. Engineering Test that the system is dead and nothing can move before you start. Administrative Follow the maker's procedure, for example for garage door and roller door springs. Administrative Wear safety glasses and gloves. PPE 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 Slips and trips: see step 5 for the full controls Administrative	Low
2	Remove the old fixture, wearing gloves for waste contamination	Sewage and wastewater Lifting and carrying heavy loads Cuts from sharp edges	High	Flush and drain the line before opening it, and plan the job to avoid contact. Elimination Use drain cameras, jetters and long-handled tools to keep hands out. Engineering Cover cuts with waterproof dressings. Never eat, drink or smoke before washing. Administrative Wash hands well and clean tools and boots after the job. Administrative Keep vaccinations such as tetanus and hepatitis A up to date, on medical advice. 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 Deburr or cover sharp edges, and fit edge protectors on exposed sheet metal. Engineering Use knives with retractable or self-retracting blades. Engineering Cut away from your body and keep your other hand clear. Administrative Put used blades in a blade bin or sharps container. Administrative Use two people to handle large sheets of metal or glass. Administrative	Medium
3	Drill fixings into tiles with the right bit and glasses on	Injury from power tools Eye injuries Glass handling and breakage	High	Keep all guards fitted and working. Never tie back or remove a guard. Engineering Clamp or secure the work piece. Do not hold it by hand. Engineering Only trained, competent people use power tools, following the maker's instructions. Administrative Check tools before use. Unplug or remove the battery before changing blades or bits. Administrative No loose clothing, jewellery or long hair near spinning parts. 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 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
4	Fit and connect the new fixture, kneeling on pads	Lifting and carrying heavy loads Repetitive work and awkward postures	High	Rotate tasks and take breaks on long lifting jobs. Administrative Wear gloves for grip and safety boots to protect your feet. PPE Lifting and carrying heavy loads: see step 2 for the full controls Administrative Use tools that cut the effort: powered screwdrivers, long-handled tools and extension poles for overhead work. Substitution Set work up at waist height on benches or trestles where you can. Engineering Use light tools with good grips, and keep blades and bits sharp. Engineering Rotate tasks and take short breaks every hour on repetitive work. Administrative Warm up before heavy physical work and report aches and pains early. Administrative Wear knee pads for kneeling work and gloves for grip. PPE	Medium
5	Turn water on, check for leaks and clean up	Slips and trips Poor housekeeping and waste	Medium	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 Wear safety boots with good grip, laced up. PPE 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)Work glovesSafety glasses (CSA Z94.3)Knee padsChemical-resistant glovesSafety gogglesFace shieldCoverallsCut-resistant glovesHearing protection

Plant and equipment

Hand toolsPower drill

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 toilet and faucet 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 toilet and faucet 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
Lockout, tagout and test before touch done before work starts
First aid attendant, first aid kit and emergency number (911) confirmed
PPE checked and worn: CSA green triangle safety boots (CSA Z195), work gloves, safety glasses (CSA Z94.3), knee pads

The safe sequence of work

Isolate water to the fixture and drain the lines
Remove the old fixture, wearing gloves for waste contamination
Drill fixings into tiles with the right bit and glasses on
Fit and connect the new fixture, kneeling on pads
Turn water on, check for leaks and clean up

Hazards to watch on toilet and faucet installation

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

Step 2Sewage and wastewaterContact with sewage spreads germs that cause stomach illness, hepatitis and skin infections.

Step 3Glass handling and breakageGlass panes break while being moved or fitted, causing deep cuts, or heavy panels fall and crush.

Step 1Stored energyEnergy left in springs, hydraulics, compressed gas, raised loads or capacitors releases suddenly and crushes or injures workers.

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

Step 3Injury from power toolsDrills, saws, routers and sanders kick back, catch clothing or throw debris, causing cuts, broken bones and eye injuries.

Step 4Repetitive work and awkward posturesDoing the same movement for hours, kneeling or working overhead causes long-term damage to joints, muscles and tendons.

Highest risk on toilet and faucet installation: High before controls (B), down to Medium after controls (A), on the Canada 5 by 5 risk matrix (likely and lost time injury 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?

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 toilet and faucet 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 toilet and faucet 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 toilet and faucet installation?

Usually CSA green triangle safety boots (CSA Z195), Work gloves, Safety glasses (CSA Z94.3), Knee pads, Chemical-resistant gloves, Safety goggles, Face shield, Coveralls, Cut-resistant gloves, Hearing protection. 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)