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Glazing · United States

JHA for glass railing installation

By Safety PaperworkBuilt from OSHA standards and guidance · How we write and check theseUpdated

OSHA expects employers to find and control hazards on every job, and many general contractors require a written JHA for glass railing installation 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 falling from height, silica dust from concrete, brick, stone and tiles, falling through a floor opening or void and loud noise.

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JHA example: glass railing installation

This is a complete JHA for glass railing 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.

Job Hazard Analysis (JHA)
Glass railing installation · Glazing · Example
Document JHA-001 · Rev 1

Job steps, hazards and controls

#Job stepHazardsRisk beforeControlsRisk after
1Install temporary edge protection until the railing is complete
  • Falling from height
  • Falling through a floor opening or void
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 lift 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
  • Provide fall protection at 6 feet or more and train workers to recognize fall hazards (29 CFR 1926.503). Administrative
  • Have a rescue plan so a worker hanging in a harness can be brought down within minutes. Administrative
  • Wear a full body harness with a shock-absorbing lanyard, clipped on at all times when using fall arrest. PPE
  • Cover every hole with a secured cover marked "HOLE" or "COVER" that can hold twice the weight it may carry. Engineering (guarding)
  • Put guardrails with toe boards around stairwells, elevator shafts, floor holes 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
Medium
2Drill fixings with dust extraction
  • Silica dust from concrete, brick, stone and tiles
  • Loud noise
  • Hand-arm and whole-body vibration
Critical
  • 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 wet cutting or on-tool dust collection with a HEPA vacuum, as set out in Table 1 of 29 CFR 1926.1153. Engineering
  • Clean up with a vacuum or wet methods. Never dry sweep or use compressed air. Administrative
  • Have a written exposure control plan and a competent person for silica (29 CFR 1926.1153). Administrative
  • Workers who must wear a respirator 30 or more days a year get a free medical exam every 3 years (29 CFR 1926.1153(h)). Administrative
  • Wear the respirator Table 1 lists for the task: APF 10 (a fit-tested N95 or half mask) for most tasks, APF 25 (such as a loose-fitting PAPR) for tuckpointing with a handheld grinder for more than 4 hours a shift. PPE
  • Use quieter tools and methods, such as cut-to-size materials, low-noise machines and battery tools. Substitution
  • Keep noisy plant 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
  • If you have to shout to be heard at arm's length, wear hearing protection. 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
  • Report tingling, numbness or white fingers early. Administrative
Medium
3Lift panels with suction lifters and enough people
  • Lifting and carrying heavy loads
  • Glass handling and breakage
High
  • 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 plant 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
  • 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
  • Wear cut-resistant gloves, arm guards, safety glasses and safety boots. PPE
Medium
4Fix and check each panel before removing temporary protection
  • Falling from height
  • Structural collapse during alterations
Critical
  • Falling from height: see step 1 for the full controls Administrative
  • Get an engineer to check before removing any wall, beam, post or bracing that may be load-bearing. Elimination
  • Keep everyone clear of the area under and next to the work. Engineering (guarding)
  • Install temporary props, needles or shoring as designed before removing any support. Engineering
  • Follow the engineer's sequence. Do not change it without approval. Administrative
  • Check props daily. Do not remove them until the permanent support is in and approved. Administrative
  • Wear a hard hat and safety boots. PPE
Medium
5Clean up
  • Poor housekeeping and waste
Medium
  • Order materials to size and send packaging back where you can. Elimination
  • Put dumpsters and waste 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

Safety-toe boots (ASTM F2413)Cut-resistant glovesSafety glasses (ANSI Z87.1)Personal fall arrest system (harness)Hearing protection (earmuffs or plugs)Half-face respirator (P100 cartridges)Work gloves

Plant and equipment

Power drillRotary hammerHand toolsScissor lift: Trained operator: OSHA treats scissor lifts as mobile scaffolds (29 CFR 1926.452(w), 1926.454); ANSI A92.24 training and familiarization

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 glass railing 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 JHA

Pre-start checklist for glass railing installation

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

The safe sequence of work

  1. Install temporary edge protection until the railing is complete
  2. Drill fixings with dust extraction
  3. Lift panels with suction lifters and enough people
  4. Fix and check each panel before removing temporary protection
  5. Clean up

Hazards to watch on glass railing installation

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

Step 3Glass handling and breakageGlass panes break while being moved or fitted, causing deep cuts, or heavy panels fall and crush.
Step 2Hand-arm and whole-body vibrationLong periods on jackhammers, grinders, compactors or riding plant cause white finger, numbness and back damage.
Step 4Structural collapse during alterationsRemoving a wall, beam, post or bracing makes part of the building fall on workers.
Step 1Falling through a floor opening or voidA worker steps into an open hole, stairwell, elevator shaft or floor opening and falls to the level below.
Step 1, 4Falling from heightA worker falls 6 feet or more from an edge, platform or opening to a lower level and is badly hurt or killed.
Step 2Silica dust from concrete, brick, stone and tilesCutting, grinding or drilling concrete, brick, stone, tile or fiber cement makes fine silica dust that causes silicosis and lung cancer.
Almost certainLikelyPossibleUnlikelyRareHow bad it could be: First aid only to FatalityBA
Highest risk on glass railing installation: Critical before controls (B), down to Medium after controls (A), on the United States 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):

  • Will anyone work 6 feet or more above a lower level?
  • Will anyone use a ladder or stepladder?
  • Will anyone work on a roof?
  • Is there a skylight, fiberglass panel or other fragile roofing?
  • Will you use a scaffold or rolling tower?

Licences and legal requirements in United States

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

  • Scissor lift: Trained operator: OSHA treats scissor lifts as mobile scaffolds (29 CFR 1926.452(w), 1926.454); ANSI A92.24 training and familiarization

OSHA requires employers to find and fix hazards and to train workers on them. A JHA breaks the job into steps, lists the hazards in each step and the controls that protect the crew. General contractors often require one before you start.

Rules that apply: 29 CFR 1926 Subpart M; 29 CFR 1926.1153; 29 CFR 1926.52.

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 glass railing installation?

OSHA expects employers to find and control hazards on every job, and many general contractors require a written JHA for glass railing installation 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 glass railing installation?

Usually Safety-toe boots (ASTM F2413), Cut-resistant gloves, Safety glasses (ANSI Z87.1), Personal fall arrest system (harness), Hearing protection (earmuffs or plugs), Half-face respirator (P100 cartridges), Work gloves. The site rules may add more, so check with the general contractor.

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Related jobs in other trades

ConcretingConcrete Slab PourAlso involves hand-arm and whole-body vibrationLandscapingTree RemovalAlso involves loud noiseRoofingRoof ReplacementAlso involves structural collapse during alterationsExcavation and earthworksTrenching and ExcavationAlso involves hand-arm and whole-body vibrationWelding and fabricationSteel ErectionAlso involves structural collapse during alterationsScaffoldingScaffold ErectionAlso involves falling from height

Toolbox talks for this job

Toolbox talkSilica DustToolbox talkManual Handling and Back SafetyToolbox talkHearing Protection and NoiseToolbox talkHand-Arm Vibration

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

Sources