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Solar · United States

JHA for solar panel cleaning

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 solar panel cleaning 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 a roof edge, electric shock from live wiring, falling from a ladder and glass handling and breakage.

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JHA example: solar panel cleaning

This is a complete JHA for solar panel cleaning, 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)
Solar panel cleaning · Solar · Example
Document JHA-001 · Rev 1

Job steps, hazards and controls

#Job stepHazardsRisk beforeControlsRisk after
1Set up roof access and edge protection or harness
  • Falling from a roof edge
  • Falling from a ladder
Critical
  • Do what you can from the ground or from a scaffold at the gutter line, for example pre-assemble parts on the ground. Elimination
  • Install edge protection or guardrails on all open roof edges before work starts. Engineering (guarding)
  • Use a perimeter scaffold with handrails and toe boards along the eaves where practical. Engineering
  • Where guardrails cannot be fitted, use fall restraint on certified roof anchors so workers cannot reach the edge. Engineering
  • Low-slope roofs: guardrails, safety nets, personal fall arrest, or a warning line combined with one of these or with a safety monitor (a safety monitor alone only on roofs 50 feet wide or less). Steep roofs: guardrails with toe boards, safety nets or personal fall arrest (29 CFR 1926.501(b)(10), (11)). Administrative
  • Use one safe, controlled access point and keep others off the roof. Administrative
  • Stop roof work in strong wind or rain, and when the roof is wet, icy or covered in dust or frost. Administrative
  • Wear a harness clipped to a rated anchor when using restraint or fall arrest, and soft-soled non-slip boots. 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
2Never stand on panels and watch for wet slippery surfaces
  • Slips and trips
  • Glass handling and breakage
High
  • 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
  • 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
3Check for damaged panels or cables before cleaning
  • 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)
  • 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
Medium
4Clean with low pressure water and soft brushes
  • High pressure water jetting
  • Electric shock from live wiring
Critical
  • 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
  • Electric shock from live wiring: see step 3 for the full controls Administrative
Medium
5Watch for birds, nests and wasps under panels
  • Bites and stings
Medium
  • 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
6Clean up and remove access
  • Heat stress
  • Poor housekeeping and waste
High
  • Schedule heavy work for the cooler part of the day. Elimination
  • Provide shade over work and rest areas, and fans or cooling in attics. Engineering
  • Supply cool drinking water close by and drink a cup every 15 to 20 minutes. Administrative
  • Take regular rest breaks in the shade, more often as it gets hotter. Administrative
  • Let new and returning workers build up to full work in the heat over about a week. Administrative
  • Watch each other for dizziness, headache, confusion or stopping sweating. Stop work, cool down and get help. Administrative
  • Have a hot weather plan, including when work stops. Administrative
  • In California, Washington, Oregon and Maryland, follow the state heat illness rule: written plan, shade, water, rest and high-heat procedures. Administrative
  • Wear light, loose, long-sleeved clothing, a hat or brim, and sunscreen. 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
Medium

PPE

Safety-toe boots (ASTM F2413)Personal fall arrest system (harness)Work glovesSun protection (sunscreen, hat, long sleeves)Hard hat (ANSI Z89.1)Cut-resistant glovesSafety glasses (ANSI Z87.1)Rubber insulating glovesArc flash PPE (NFPA 70E)Face shield (ANSI Z87.1)CoverallsHearing protection (earmuffs or plugs)

Plant and equipment

Extension ladderPressure washerHand tools

Permits and plans

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

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 solar panel cleaning

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

The safe sequence of work

  1. Set up roof access and edge protection or harness
  2. Never stand on panels and watch for wet slippery surfaces
  3. Check for damaged panels or cables before cleaning
  4. Clean with low pressure water and soft brushes
  5. Watch for birds, nests and wasps under panels
  6. Clean up and remove access

Hazards to watch on solar panel cleaning

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

Step 4High pressure water jettingHigh pressure water cuts through skin and injects water and dirt into the body, or the hose whips.
Step 5Bites and stingsSnakes, spiders, wasps, ticks and dogs bite or sting workers in attics, crawl spaces and yards.
Step 2Glass handling and breakageGlass panes break while being moved or fitted, causing deep cuts, or heavy panels fall and crush.
Step 1Falling from a roof edgeA worker slips or walks off the edge of a roof or gutter line and falls to the ground.
Step 6Heat stressHard work in hot weather or hot attics causes heat exhaustion or heat stroke, which can kill.
Step 1Falling from a ladderThe ladder slips or tips, or the worker overreaches, and they fall onto a hard surface.
Almost certainLikelyPossibleUnlikelyRareHow bad it could be: First aid only to FatalityBA
Highest risk on solar panel cleaning: 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 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 solar panel cleaning?

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

Usually Safety-toe boots (ASTM F2413), Personal fall arrest system (harness), Work gloves, Sun protection (sunscreen, hat, long sleeves), Hard hat (ANSI Z89.1), Cut-resistant gloves, Safety glasses (ANSI Z87.1), Rubber insulating gloves, Arc flash PPE (NFPA 70E), Face shield (ANSI Z87.1), Coveralls, 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

Toolbox talkLadder SafetyToolbox talkManual Handling and Back SafetyToolbox talkHeat StressToolbox talkSlips, Trips and Falls

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

Sources