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Solar · United States

JHA for solar panel 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 solar panel 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 a roof edge, silica dust from concrete, brick, stone and tiles, disturbing asbestos and falling through a fragile roof or skylight.

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JHA example: solar panel installation

This is a complete JHA for solar panel installation, 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 installation on a pitched roof · Solar · Example
Document JHA-001 · Rev 1

Job steps, hazards and controls

#Job stepHazardsRisk beforeControlsRisk after
1Check the roof for asbestos, brittle tiles and power lines
  • Disturbing asbestos
  • Falling through a fragile roof or skylight
  • Contact with overhead power lines
Critical
  • Treat insulation, surfacing and resilient flooring in buildings built before 1981 as asbestos unless testing shows otherwise, and get the owner's asbestos survey before you start. Elimination
  • Seal off the work area and keep everyone else out. Engineering (guarding)
  • If asbestos must be disturbed, keep it wet, use hand tools not power tools, and clean up with a HEPA vacuum. Engineering
  • Follow 29 CFR 1926.1101: competent person, work class, regulated area and exposure monitoring. Administrative
  • Commercial renovation and any demolition need a NESHAP asbestos inspection first, and demolition needs written notice to the state or EPA 10 working days before work starts (40 CFR 61 Subpart M). Administrative
  • Roofing felts, cement shingles and siding, roof coatings and old panel backboards can also contain asbestos. Test them or treat them as asbestos; asbestos roofing is removed intact with hand tools by trained workers (29 CFR 1926.1101(g)(8)). Administrative
  • Stop work straight away if you find suspect asbestos. Do not touch it and tell your supervisor. Administrative
  • Wear a fit-tested NIOSH-approved respirator suited to the work class, and disposable coveralls. PPE
  • Work from underneath or from an aerial lift so nobody stands on the fragile roof. Elimination
  • Cover every skylight with a fixed, marked cover that can hold at least twice the weight it may carry, or guard it with a guardrail. Engineering (guarding)
  • Use crawl boards or staging to spread the load on fragile or rotten decking, and cover or guard any hole left where decking is removed (29 CFR 1926.501(b)(4)). Engineering
  • Use fall arrest on rated anchors when working near fragile areas. Engineering
  • Treat all roof sheets as fragile until a competent person confirms they are not. Old fiber cement and plastic sheets are fragile. Administrative
  • Ask the utility to de-energize, move or insulate the lines before work starts. Elimination
  • Use non-conductive (fiberglass) ladders near any power lines. Substitution
  • Mark the safe distance with flags, tape or warning lines and keep all equipment and people outside it. Engineering (guarding)
  • Keep equipment at least 10 feet from lines up to 50 kV once the utility confirms the voltage, more for higher voltages, and 20 feet when the voltage is unknown (29 CFR 1926.1408). Administrative
  • Use a dedicated spotter whenever equipment moves or raises anything near lines. Administrative
  • Treat all lines as energized. If equipment touches a line, the operator stays in the cab and everyone else keeps well away. Administrative
Medium
2Set up edge protection or harness anchors and a secured ladder
  • 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
3Lift panels with a hoist, not up a ladder
  • Lifting and carrying heavy loads
  • Falling tools and materials
  • Strong wind and storms
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
  • 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
  • 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
Medium
4Fit rails and brackets, cutting tiles with dust control
  • Silica dust from concrete, brick, stone and tiles
  • Angle grinder injuries
  • Injury from power tools
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 a guarded saw or a different tool where you can. Substitution
  • Keep the guard on and use the side handle. Never remove the guard. Engineering
  • Use the right disc for the job, rated for the grinder's speed. Check it for cracks first. Administrative
  • Only trained people change discs, with the grinder unplugged or the battery out. Administrative
  • Keep both hands on the grinder and let the disc stop before putting it down. Administrative
  • 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
Medium
5Mount panels, remembering they make power in daylight
  • Electric shock from live wiring
  • Lifting and carrying heavy loads
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
  • Rotate tasks and take breaks on long lifting jobs. Administrative
  • Wear gloves for grip and safety boots to protect your feet. PPE
  • Lifting and carrying heavy loads: see step 3 for the full controls Administrative
Medium
6Run DC cabling and test, then clean up the roof
  • Electric shock from live wiring
  • Heat stress
  • Sun exposure (UV)
  • Poor housekeeping and waste
Critical
  • Electric shock from live wiring: see step 5 for the full controls Administrative
  • 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
  • In California, Washington, Oregon and Maryland, follow the state heat illness rule: written plan, shade, water, rest and high-heat procedures. Administrative
  • Plan outdoor work for early morning or late afternoon when UV is lower. Elimination
  • Put shade covers over fixed work areas. Engineering
  • Check the UV index each day. Use sun protection when it is 3 or higher. Administrative
  • Check your skin regularly and see a doctor about any new or changing spots. 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)Personal fall arrest system (harness)Cut-resistant glovesSafety glasses (ANSI Z87.1)Sun protection (sunscreen, hat, long sleeves)Hard hat (ANSI Z89.1)Half-face respirator (P100 cartridges)CoverallsWork glovesHearing protection (earmuffs or plugs)Face shield (ANSI Z87.1)Rubber insulating glovesArc flash PPE (NFPA 70E)

Plant and equipment

Supported scaffold: Erected under a competent person (29 CFR 1926.451)Extension ladderMaterial hoistPower drillAngle grinderElectrical test meter

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 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 solar panel installation

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

The safe sequence of work

  1. Check the roof for asbestos, brittle tiles and power lines
  2. Set up edge protection or harness anchors and a secured ladder
  3. Lift panels with a hoist, not up a ladder
  4. Fit rails and brackets, cutting tiles with dust control
  5. Mount panels, remembering they make power in daylight
  6. Run DC cabling and test, then clean up the roof

Hazards to watch on solar panel installation

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

Step 1Falling through a fragile roof or skylightA worker steps on a skylight, clear sheet or old fiber cement roof and falls through to the floor below.
Step 4Angle grinder injuriesThe disc shatters, binds or kicks back, causing deep cuts to legs and hands or eye injuries.
Step 6Sun exposure (UV)Long hours in the sun cause sunburn, eye damage and skin cancer.
Step 1Contact with overhead power linesA ladder, aerial lift, crane, dump truck or long length of material touches or gets close to an overhead line and electrocutes people.
Step 3Strong wind and stormsWind blows sheets, panels and people off roofs and scaffolds, and storms and lightning make work at height and lifting unsafe.
Step 2Falling from a roof edgeA worker slips or walks off the edge of a roof or gutter line and falls to the ground.
Almost certainLikelyPossibleUnlikelyRareHow bad it could be: First aid only to FatalityBA
Highest risk on solar panel 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 work on a roof?
  • Will you use a scaffold or rolling tower?
  • Will you use an aerial lift (scissor lift or boom lift)?
  • 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)

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 1926.1101 and 40 CFR 61 Subpart M (NESHAP); 29 CFR 1926 Subpart M; 29 CFR 1926.1408 and 1926.416; 29 CFR 1926 Subpart X; 29 CFR 1926.501(c); 29 CFR 1926.1153; 29 CFR 1926 Subpart I; 29 CFR 1926 Subpart K; OSH Act Section 5(a)(1) General Duty Clause; state heat rules where they apply (Cal/OSHA T8 3395, WA WAC 296-62-095, OR OAR 437-002-0156, MD COMAR 09.12.32).

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 installation?

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

Usually Safety-toe boots (ASTM F2413), Personal fall arrest system (harness), Cut-resistant gloves, Safety glasses (ANSI Z87.1), Sun protection (sunscreen, hat, long sleeves), Hard hat (ANSI Z89.1), Half-face respirator (P100 cartridges), Coveralls, Work gloves, Hearing protection (earmuffs or plugs), Face shield (ANSI Z87.1), Rubber insulating gloves, Arc flash PPE (NFPA 70E). The site rules may add more, so check with the general contractor.

More solar JHAs

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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