SafetyPaperwork
Tiling · United States

JHA for backsplash tiling

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 backsplash tiling 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 silica dust from concrete, brick, stone and tiles, electric shock from live wiring, saw cuts and kickback and working in an occupied home or building.

Make this JHA nowWord templatePDF

JHA example: backsplash tiling

This is a complete JHA for backsplash tiling, 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)
Kitchen splashback tiling · Tiling · Example
Document JHA-001 · Rev 1

Job steps, hazards and controls

#Job stepHazardsRisk beforeControlsRisk after
1Isolate power to outlets in the splashback
  • 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
2Protect benches and appliances
  • Working in an occupied home or building
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
Low
3Cut tiles wet and drill holes with water
  • Silica dust from concrete, brick, stone and tiles
  • Saw cuts and kickback
  • Eye injuries
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
  • Keep blade guards fitted and working, and use the riving knife on table saws. Engineering
  • Use push sticks and clamps, and support long pieces so they do not pinch the blade. Engineering
  • Use a sharp, undamaged blade made for the material. Administrative
  • Stand to one side of the blade line, out of the kickback path. Administrative
  • Let the blade stop fully before reaching in or putting the saw down. 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
Medium
4Set, grout and clean
  • Hazardous chemicals
  • Cuts from sharp edges
Medium
  • 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
  • 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
  • Wear cut-resistant gloves and long sleeves. PPE
Medium

PPE

Safety glasses (ANSI Z87.1)N95 respiratorChemical-resistant glovesHalf-face respirator (P100 cartridges)Hearing protection (earmuffs or plugs)Safety goggles (ANSI Z87.1)Face shield (ANSI Z87.1)CoverallsCut-resistant gloves

Plant and equipment

Wet tile sawHand toolsPower drill

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 backsplash tiling

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 backsplash tiling

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

The safe sequence of work

  1. Isolate power to outlets in the splashback
  2. Protect benches and appliances
  3. Cut tiles wet and drill holes with water
  4. Set, grout and clean

Hazards to watch on backsplash tiling

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

Step 2Working 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.
Step 3Eye injuriesFlying chips, dust, chemicals or sparks get into the eye and cause damage or blindness.
Step 3Saw cuts and kickbackCircular saws, miter saws and table saws cut fingers and hands or throw material back at the user.
Step 4Hazardous chemicalsGlues, sealants, solvents, acids, cleaners and cement burn skin and eyes or cause breathing problems and poisoning.
Step 3Silica dust from concrete, brick, stone and tilesCutting, grinding or drilling concrete, brick, stone, tile or fiber cement makes fine silica dust that causes silicosis and lung cancer.
Step 4Cuts from sharp edgesSheet metal, glass, blades, cable tray and offcuts cut hands and arms.
Almost certainLikelyPossibleUnlikelyRareHow bad it could be: First aid only to FatalityBA
Highest risk on backsplash tiling: 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 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 backsplash tiling?

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

Usually Safety glasses (ANSI Z87.1), N95 respirator, Chemical-resistant gloves, Half-face respirator (P100 cartridges), Hearing protection (earmuffs or plugs), Safety goggles (ANSI Z87.1), Face shield (ANSI Z87.1), Coveralls, Cut-resistant gloves. The site rules may add more, so check with the general contractor.

More tiling JHAs

JHABathroom Tiling5 stepsJHAFloor Tiling5 stepsJHAShower Waterproofing9 stepsJHATile Demolition9 stepsJHAPatio Tiling5 steps

Related jobs in other trades

ElectricalElectrical Panel UpgradeAlso involves working in an occupied home or buildingDrywallDrywall InstallationAlso involves electric shock from live wiringPaintingLead Paint Removal (RRP)Also involves working in an occupied home or buildingConcretingConcrete Slab PourAlso involves silica dust from concrete, brick, stone and tilesRoofingRoof ReplacementAlso involves cuts from sharp edgesWelding and fabricationSteel ErectionAlso involves eye injuries

Toolbox talks for this job

Toolbox talkWorking at HeightsToolbox talkSilica DustToolbox talkWorking in Cold WeatherToolbox talkWorking Near Traffic

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

Sources