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Landscaping · United States

JHA for lawn care and landscaping maintenance

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 lawn care and landscaping maintenance 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 being hit by heavy equipment, public entering the work area, falling from a ladder and strong wind and storms.

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JHA example: lawn care and landscaping maintenance

This is a complete JHA for lawn care and landscaping maintenance, 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)
Garden maintenance: mowing and hedges · Landscaping · Example
Document JHA-001 · Rev 1

Job steps, hazards and controls

#Job stepHazardsRisk beforeControlsRisk after
1Walk the area first, removing rocks and looking for hazards
  • Slips and trips
  • Bites and stings
Medium
  • Plan walkways and keep them clear of materials, hoses and leads. Elimination
  • Run cords and hoses overhead on hooks or stands, or along walls, not across walkways. Engineering
  • Slips and trips: see step 3 for the full controls Administrative
  • Check work areas before starting, and get pest control to remove nests. Elimination
  • Look before you reach into dark spaces. Administrative
  • Ask owners to keep pets away from the work area. Administrative
  • Know who has allergies and keep their medication, such as an epinephrine auto-injector, close by. Administrative
  • Wear gloves, long sleeves and boots. Use insect repellent outdoors. PPE
Medium
2Keep people and pets away when mowing and trimming
  • Public entering the work area
  • Eye injuries
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 unauthorized entry". Administrative
  • Make the site safe at the end of each day: cover holes, lower plant, remove ladders and lock tools away. Administrative
  • Use a spotter when moving plant or materials across public paths. 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
Low
3Mow slopes across, not up and down
  • Being hit by heavy equipment
  • Slips and trips
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
  • Make eye contact with the operator before going near. Stay out of the swing radius. Administrative
  • Operators are trained and authorized for each machine. Forklift and telehandler operators are trained, evaluated and certified by the employer (29 CFR 1910.178(l), via 1926.602(d)). Administrative
  • Do a pre-start check on each machine every day and record it. Administrative
  • Wear hi-vis clothing and a hard hat. PPE
  • Plan walkways and keep them clear of materials, hoses and leads. Elimination
  • Run cords 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
Medium
4Trim hedges from a platform, not a ladder
  • Falling from a ladder
  • Injury from power tools
High
  • 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
  • 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
  • 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, jewelry or long hair near spinning parts. Administrative
  • Wear safety glasses and hearing protection. Do not wear loose gloves on drills or other rotating tools. PPE
Medium
5Spray weeds as the label says, in calm weather
  • Hazardous chemicals
  • Strong wind and storms
High
  • Choose the least harmful product that does the job, for example water-based instead of solvent-based. Substitution
  • Use chemicals in well-ventilated areas, or use fans and extraction in closed rooms. Engineering
  • Read the Safety Data Sheet (SDS) and labels before use, following OSHA Hazard Communication. Administrative
  • Keep chemicals in labeled containers. Never pour them into drink bottles. Administrative
  • Store chemicals away from heat, food and drink, and keep products that react with each other apart. Administrative
  • Have eye wash and a spill kit nearby, and wash hands before eating. Administrative
  • Wear chemical-resistant gloves and safety glasses or goggles as listed on the SDS. PPE
  • Use a respirator with the right cartridge if the SDS calls for one. PPE
  • Check the forecast each morning and plan work at height and lifting around the weather. Elimination
  • Tie down or weigh down loose sheets, panels, boards and rubbish at the end of each shift. Engineering
  • Set wind limits for roof work, platforms and cranes, using the manufacturer's limits, and stop when they are reached. Administrative
  • Stop work and get down in lightning. Wait 30 minutes after the last thunder before going back up. Administrative
  • Check scaffold, fencing and edge protection after strong wind before anyone uses them. Administrative
  • Do not carry large sheets on roofs in wind. Administrative
  • Wear a hard hat with a chin strap at height in windy conditions. PPE
Medium
6Clean up green waste
  • Lifting and carrying heavy loads
  • Hand-arm and whole-body vibration
  • Loud noise
  • Poor housekeeping and waste
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
  • 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 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
  • 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
Medium

PPE

Safety-toe boots (ASTM F2413)Safety glasses (ANSI Z87.1)Hearing protection (earmuffs or plugs)Work glovesSun protection (sunscreen, hat, long sleeves)CoverallsHigh-visibility safety apparel, ANSI/ISEA 107 Class 2 or 3 (Type R near roadways)Safety goggles (ANSI Z87.1)Face shield (ANSI Z87.1)Hard hat (ANSI Z89.1)Chemical-resistant glovesHalf-face respirator (P100 cartridges)

Plant and equipment

Lawn mowerString trimmerHedge trimmerBackpack sprayer: State pesticide applicator license for commercial herbicide workTrailer

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 lawn care and landscaping maintenance

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 lawn care and landscaping maintenance

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

The safe sequence of work

  1. Walk the area first, removing rocks and looking for hazards
  2. Keep people and pets away when mowing and trimming
  3. Mow slopes across, not up and down
  4. Trim hedges from a platform, not a ladder
  5. Spray weeds as the label says, in calm weather
  6. Clean up green waste

Hazards to watch on lawn care and landscaping maintenance

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

Step 1Bites and stingsSnakes, spiders, wasps, ticks and dogs bite or sting workers in attics, crawl spaces and yards.
Step 5Strong wind and stormsWind blows sheets, panels and people off roofs and scaffolds, and storms and lightning make work at height and lifting unsafe.
Step 6Hand-arm and whole-body vibrationLong periods on jackhammers, grinders, compactors or riding plant cause white finger, numbness and back damage.
Step 2Eye injuriesFlying chips, dust, chemicals or sparks get into the eye and cause damage or blindness.
Step 3Being hit by heavy equipmentExcavators, loaders, telehandlers and trucks run over or crush workers, especially when backing up or swinging.
Step 4Injury from power toolsDrills, saws, routers and sanders kick back, catch clothing or throw debris, causing cuts, broken bones and eye injuries.
Almost certainLikelyPossibleUnlikelyRareHow bad it could be: First aid only to FatalityBA
Highest risk on lawn care and landscaping maintenance: 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)?

Licences and legal requirements in United States

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

  • Backpack sprayer: State pesticide applicator license for commercial herbicide work

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 O; 29 CFR 1926 Subpart X; 29 CFR 1926 Subpart I; 29 CFR 1926.59 Hazard Communication; 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 lawn care and landscaping maintenance?

OSHA expects employers to find and control hazards on every job, and many general contractors require a written JHA for lawn care and landscaping maintenance 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 lawn care and landscaping maintenance?

Usually Safety-toe boots (ASTM F2413), Safety glasses (ANSI Z87.1), Hearing protection (earmuffs or plugs), Work gloves, Sun protection (sunscreen, hat, long sleeves), Coveralls, High-visibility safety apparel, ANSI/ISEA 107 Class 2 or 3 (Type R near roadways), Safety goggles (ANSI Z87.1), Face shield (ANSI Z87.1), Hard hat (ANSI Z89.1), Chemical-resistant gloves, Half-face respirator (P100 cartridges). The site rules may add more, so check with the general contractor.

More landscaping JHAs

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Toolbox talks for this job

Toolbox talkLadder SafetyToolbox talkOverhead Power LinesToolbox talkExtension Leads and Power ToolsToolbox talkHearing Protection and Noise

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

Sources