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Scaffolding · United States

JHA for scaffold inspection

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 scaffold inspection 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, scaffold collapse or fall from scaffold, strong wind and storms and falling tools and materials.

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JHA example: scaffold inspection

This is a complete JHA for scaffold inspection, with 4 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)
Scaffold inspection and handover · Scaffolding · Example
Document JHA-001 · Rev 1

Job steps, hazards and controls

#Job stepHazardsRisk beforeControlsRisk after
1Inspect after erection, weekly, and after storms or changes
  • Scaffold collapse or fall from scaffold
  • Strong wind and storms
Critical
  • Scaffold is built, moved and taken down under the supervision of a competent person. Engineering
  • Fit guardrails, mid rails and toe boards on every platform more than 10 feet above a lower level, or use personal fall arrest (29 CFR 1926.451(g)(1)). Engineering
  • Scaffold collapse or fall from scaffold: see step 2 for the full controls Administrative
  • 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
2Check base, ties, bracing, planks, guardrails and toe boards
  • Scaffold collapse or fall from scaffold
  • Falling tools and materials
Critical
  • Scaffold is built, moved and taken down under the supervision of a competent person. Engineering
  • Fit guardrails, mid rails and toe boards on every platform more than 10 feet above a lower level, or use personal fall arrest (29 CFR 1926.451(g)(1)). Engineering
  • Use mobile scaffolds only on firm, level ground with casters locked, and guy, tie, brace or fit outriggers once the height is more than 4 times the base width (29 CFR 1926.451(c)(1)). Never move one with anyone on it. Engineering
  • Every worker on the scaffold is trained by a qualified person (29 CFR 1926.454). Administrative
  • A competent person inspects the scaffold before each shift and after anything that could affect it (29 CFR 1926.451(f)(3)). Administrative
  • Do not overload platforms. Know the rated load (light, medium or heavy duty) and stack materials over the legs, not mid-span (29 CFR 1926.451(f)(1)). Administrative
  • Never remove ties, braces, guardrails or planks. Only the erection crew alters the scaffold, under the direction of the competent person (29 CFR 1926.451(f)(7)). Administrative
  • Wear a hard hat and safety boots on and around the scaffold. PPE
  • Barricade and sign the drop zone under overhead work so nobody walks beneath. Engineering (guarding)
  • Fit toe boards, kick plates and mesh screens on scaffolds and edges. Engineering
  • Use catch fans, debris netting or covered walkways where people pass below. Engineering
  • Tether hand tools when working at height. Engineering
  • Keep platforms tidy. Do not stack materials near edges or above toe board height. Administrative
  • Lower materials with a hoist, chute or rope. Never throw or drop anything down. Administrative
  • Wear a hard hat anywhere objects could fall. PPE
Medium
3Check access, ladder gates and loading limits
  • Falling from height
  • Falling from a ladder
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
  • 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
Medium
4Tag the scaffold safe or not safe and record it
  • Scaffold collapse or fall from scaffold
Critical
  • Scaffold collapse or fall from scaffold: see step 2 for the full controls Administrative
Medium

PPE

Safety-toe boots (ASTM F2413)Hard hat (ANSI Z89.1)High-visibility safety apparel, ANSI/ISEA 107 Class 2 or 3 (Type R near roadways)Safety glasses (ANSI Z87.1)

Plant and equipment

Supported scaffold: Erected under a competent person (29 CFR 1926.451)Mobile (rolling) scaffold: Erected under a competent person (29 CFR 1926.451)

Permits and plans

Written fall protection plan (only where guardrails, nets or personal fall arrest are not feasible, 1926.502(k))

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 scaffold inspection

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 scaffold inspection

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

The safe sequence of work

  1. Inspect after erection, weekly, and after storms or changes
  2. Check base, ties, bracing, planks, guardrails and toe boards
  3. Check access, ladder gates and loading limits
  4. Tag the scaffold safe or not safe and record it

Hazards to watch on scaffold inspection

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

Step 1, 2, 4Scaffold collapse or fall from scaffoldA scaffold that is badly built, overloaded or altered collapses or tips, or a worker falls from an unguarded platform.
Step 1Strong wind and stormsWind blows sheets, panels and people off roofs and scaffolds, and storms and lightning make work at height and lifting unsafe.
Step 3Falling from a ladderThe ladder slips or tips, or the worker overreaches, and they fall onto a hard surface.
Step 3Falling 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 2Falling tools and materialsTools, materials or debris fall from above and hit someone working or walking below.
Almost certainLikelyPossibleUnlikelyRareHow bad it could be: First aid only to FatalityBA
Highest risk on scaffold inspection: 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 on a roof?
  • Is there a skylight, fiberglass panel or other fragile roofing?
  • Will you use an aerial lift (scissor lift or boom lift)?
  • Was the building built before 1981?
  • Is it a home or child-occupied facility (such as a child care center or preschool) built before 1978, and will you disturb paint?

Licences and legal requirements in United States

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

  • Supported scaffold: Erected under a competent person (29 CFR 1926.451)
  • Mobile (rolling) scaffold: Erected under a competent person (29 CFR 1926.451)

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 L; 29 CFR 1926.501(c); 29 CFR 1926 Subpart M; 29 CFR 1926 Subpart X.

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 scaffold inspection?

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

Usually Safety-toe boots (ASTM F2413), Hard hat (ANSI Z89.1), High-visibility safety apparel, ANSI/ISEA 107 Class 2 or 3 (Type R near roadways), Safety glasses (ANSI Z87.1). The site rules may add more, so check with the general contractor.

More scaffolding JHAs

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

Sources