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Electrical · United States

JHA for electrical fault finding

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OSHA expects employers to find and control hazards on every job, and many general contractors require a written JHA for electrical fault finding before you start.

A JHA breaks the job into steps, lists the hazards in each step and the controls that protect the crew, and the crew signs it. The main hazards are electric shock from live wiring, electric shock from cords and power tools, falling from a ladder and working in an occupied home or building.

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JHA example: electrical fault finding

This is a complete JHA for electrical fault finding, 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.

Job Hazard Analysis (JHA)
Electrical fault finding · Electrical · Example
Document JHA-001 · Rev 1

Job steps, hazards and controls

#Job stepHazardsRisk beforeControlsRisk after
1Talk to the client about the fault and keep people away from the electrical panel
  • 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
2Check the test meter on a known source before and after use
  • Electric shock from live wiring
Critical
  • Isolate the power before any work. Do not work live. Elimination
  • Lock out and tag the disconnecting means with your own personal lock and tag so the circuit cannot be energized (29 CFR 1926.417). Engineering (guarding)
  • Electric shock from live wiring: see step 3 for the full controls Administrative
Medium
3Do live testing only when it cannot be done dead, using insulated tools, mats and arc rated gear
  • Electric shock from live wiring
  • Stored energy
Critical
  • Isolate the power before any work. Do not work live. Elimination
  • Lock out and tag the disconnecting means with your own personal lock and tag so the circuit cannot be energized (29 CFR 1926.417). Engineering (guarding)
  • Test before you touch: prove dead at the point of work with a tested voltage tester. Engineering
  • Only qualified persons work on or near exposed energized parts. 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 an energized work permit, a safety observer and insulated tools, following NFPA 70E. Administrative
  • Wear insulated gloves, arc-rated clothing and a face shield when testing or working near live parts. PPE
  • 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
Medium
4Isolate the faulty circuit, apply lockout/tagout and prove dead before any repair
  • Electric shock from live wiring
Critical
  • Electric shock from live wiring: see step 3 for the full controls Administrative
Medium
5Repair or replace the faulty part
  • Electric shock from cords and power tools
  • Cuts from sharp edges
  • Falling from a ladder
High
  • Use battery-powered tools where you can. Substitution
  • Use GFCIs on all 120-volt, 15, 20 and 30 amp temporary receptacles, or a written assured equipment grounding conductor program run by a competent person with recorded tests (29 CFR 1926.404(b)(1)). 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
  • 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
  • Use a platform ladder, mobile scaffold or aerial lift for longer jobs instead of a straight ladder. Substitution
  • Use Type I, IA or IAA ladders in good condition. Tag and remove any damaged ladder. Engineering
  • Set extension ladders at a 4 to 1 angle on firm, level ground, secured, and reaching 3 feet 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 stiles. Do not overreach. Administrative
Medium
6Retest, restore power and record what was found
  • Electric shock from live wiring
  • Working alone
Critical
  • Electric shock from live wiring: see step 3 for the full controls Administrative
  • Do not do high risk work alone: work at height, confined spaces, live electrical or trenches. Elimination
  • Set a check-in system: call or text at set times, and someone follows up if there is no reply. Administrative
  • Tell someone where you are working and when you expect to finish. Administrative
  • Carry a charged phone. Use a personal alarm or GPS device where there is no signal. Administrative
  • Keep a first aid kit on hand and know the site address for emergency services. Administrative
Medium

PPE

Safety-toe boots (ASTM F2413)Safety glasses (ANSI Z87.1)Rubber insulating glovesArc flash PPE (NFPA 70E)N95 respiratorWork glovesCut-resistant glovesHard hat (ANSI Z89.1)

Plant and equipment

Electrical test meterHand toolsStep ladder

Permits and plans

Lockout/tagout (1926.417)

Emergency

Call 911. Add the nearest hospital, the assembly point and the first aid / cpr person for your site.

Sign-off

Supervisor and every worker sign to confirm they have read and understood this JHA.

Free JHA template for electrical fault finding

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 JHA

Pre-start checklist for electrical fault finding

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

The safe sequence of work

  1. Talk to the client about the fault and keep people away from the electrical panel
  2. Check the test meter on a known source before and after use
  3. Do live testing only when it cannot be done dead, using insulated tools, mats and arc rated gear
  4. Isolate the faulty circuit, apply lockout/tagout and prove dead before any repair
  5. Repair or replace the faulty part
  6. Retest, restore power and record what was found

Hazards to watch on electrical fault finding

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

Step 6Working aloneA worker on their own is hurt or falls ill and nobody knows to help them.
Step 5Electric shock from cords and power toolsDamaged cords, plugs or tools, or water near power, give the user an electric shock.
Step 3Stored energyEnergy left in springs, hydraulics, compressed gas, raised loads or capacitors releases suddenly and crushes or injures workers.
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 5Falling from a ladderThe ladder slips or tips, or the worker overreaches, and they fall onto a hard surface.
Step 5Cuts from sharp edgesSheet metal, glass, blades, cable tray and offcuts cut hands and arms.
Almost certainLikelyPossibleUnlikelyRareHow bad it could be: First aid only to FatalityBA
Highest risk on electrical fault finding: Critical before controls (B), down to Medium after controls (A), on the United States 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):

  • Will anyone work 6 feet or more above a lower level?
  • Will anyone work on a roof?
  • Is there a skylight, fiberglass panel or other fragile roofing?
  • Will you use a scaffold or rolling tower?
  • Will you use an aerial lift (scissor lift or boom lift)?

Why JHAs get rejected

General contractors send documents back for these reasons. This example avoids them, but check yours too.

  • Generic steps such as "work safely" or "use PPE" with no task-specific hazards or controls.
  • No OSHA standards referenced for the hazards that have them, such as fall protection, ladders, scaffolds or silica.
  • No competent person named for fall protection, excavation, scaffolds or silica where those hazards exist.
  • Equipment listed without inspection requirements, and no training listed for the people using it.
  • Respirators listed with no respiratory protection program, medical clearance or fit test.
  • Controls rely only on PPE when engineering controls such as guardrails, wet cutting or extraction are feasible.
  • No crew sign-off, or no date and revision when the job has changed.

Questions

Do I need a JHA for electrical fault finding?

OSHA expects employers to find and control hazards on every job, and many general contractors require a written JHA for electrical fault finding before you start.

Who signs the JHA?

The supervisor or competent person who prepared it signs, and every crew member signs to show they were trained on the hazards and controls before the job starts. Many general contractors also sign to accept it.

How long do I keep it?

Keep this JHA on site during the job, and keep it with the training and inspection records for at least 1 year after the job (longer if your state plan or general contractor requires it). OSHA does not set a retention period for JHAs themselves.

What PPE is needed for electrical fault finding?

Usually Safety-toe boots (ASTM F2413), Safety glasses (ANSI Z87.1), Rubber insulating gloves, Arc flash PPE (NFPA 70E), N95 respirator, Work gloves, Cut-resistant gloves, Hard hat (ANSI Z89.1). The site rules may add more, so check with the general contractor.

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

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