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Plumbing · United States

JHA for backflow testing

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 backflow testing 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 road traffic, falling through a floor opening or void, public entering the work area and bites and stings.

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JHA example: backflow testing

This is a complete JHA for backflow testing, 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)
Backflow prevention device testing · Plumbing · Example
Document JHA-001 · Rev 1

Job steps, hazards and controls

#Job stepHazardsRisk beforeControlsRisk after
1Find the device and set up cones if it is near a driveway or road
  • Road traffic
  • Public entering the work area
Critical
  • Do the work at low-traffic times, or close the road or lane with approval. Elimination
  • Put solid barriers between the work and traffic where speeds are high, not just cones. Engineering (guarding)
  • Use a truck-mounted attenuator or buffer vehicle on high speed roads. Engineering
  • Set up work zone signs and cones to MUTCD Part 6, with trained flaggers. Administrative
  • Get any permit needed from the city, county or state DOT before you start. Administrative
  • Park work vehicles to shield the work zone, with beacons on. Administrative
  • Wear ANSI/ISEA 107 Class 2 or 3 high-visibility clothing. PPE
  • 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
Medium
2Open the pit or cage, checking for spiders, snakes and sharp edges
  • Bites and stings
  • Cuts from sharp edges
  • Falling through a floor opening or void
Critical
  • 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
  • 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
  • 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
Medium
3Tell the site the water will be off, then isolate the device
  • Working in an occupied home or building
  • Stored energy
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
  • 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
Low
4Connect the test kit and run the test
  • Pressure testing
  • High pressure water jetting
Medium
  • Test with water instead of air or gas where the system allows it. Never put water in refrigerant pipework, which is tested with dry nitrogen. Substitution
  • Keep people out of the test area with signs and barriers. Engineering (guarding)
  • Use a calibrated gauge and a relief valve set to protect the system. Engineering
  • Test to the pressure the system calls for and hold it for the set time. Never go over. Administrative
  • Release the pressure fully before tightening anything or fixing leaks. Administrative
  • Wear safety glasses or a face shield. PPE
  • Set an exclusion zone around the jetting area. Engineering (guarding)
  • Use a dead man's trigger that stops the jet when released, and check hoses and fittings before use. Engineering
  • Only trained operators use high pressure jetting gear. Administrative
  • Never point the lance at anyone or put a hand in front of it. Administrative
  • Treat any jetting injury as serious and go to hospital, even if it looks small. Administrative
  • Wear a face shield, waterproof clothing, gloves, hearing protection and safety boots. PPE
Low
5Restore supply, tag the device and lodge the report
  • Slips and trips
  • Poor housekeeping and waste
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
  • 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 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)Work glovesSafety glasses (ANSI Z87.1)High-visibility safety apparel, ANSI/ISEA 107 Class 2 or 3 (Type R near roadways)CoverallsCut-resistant glovesN95 respiratorFace shield (ANSI Z87.1)Hearing protection (earmuffs or plugs)

Plant and equipment

Electrical test meterHand tools

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 backflow testing

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 backflow testing

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

The safe sequence of work

  1. Find the device and set up cones if it is near a driveway or road
  2. Open the pit or cage, checking for spiders, snakes and sharp edges
  3. Tell the site the water will be off, then isolate the device
  4. Connect the test kit and run the test
  5. Restore supply, tag the device and lodge the report

Hazards to watch on backflow testing

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

Step 2Bites and stingsSnakes, spiders, wasps, ticks and dogs bite or sting workers in attics, crawl spaces and yards.
Step 4High pressure water jettingHigh pressure water cuts through skin and injects water and dirt into the body, or the hose whips.
Step 4Pressure testingA pipe, fitting or cap fails under test pressure and blows apart, hitting people nearby.
Step 1Road trafficPassing cars and trucks hit workers or plant working on or next to a road.
Step 3Stored energyEnergy left in springs, hydraulics, compressed gas, raised loads or capacitors releases suddenly and crushes or injures workers.
Step 3Working 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.
Almost certainLikelyPossibleUnlikelyRareHow bad it could be: First aid only to FatalityBA
Highest risk on backflow testing: 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 recordable / lost time).

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?

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 backflow testing?

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

Usually Safety-toe boots (ASTM F2413), Work gloves, Safety glasses (ANSI Z87.1), High-visibility safety apparel, ANSI/ISEA 107 Class 2 or 3 (Type R near roadways), Coveralls, Cut-resistant gloves, N95 respirator, Face shield (ANSI Z87.1), Hearing protection (earmuffs or plugs). The site rules may add more, so check with the general contractor.

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Toolbox talks for this job

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

Sources