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Welding and fabrication · United States

JHA for steel beam 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 steel beam 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 lifting and carrying heavy loads, falling tools and materials, falling from a ladder and structural collapse during alterations.

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JHA example: steel beam installation

This is a complete JHA for steel beam installation, 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)
Steel beam installation · Welding and fabrication · Example
Document JHA-001 · Rev 1

Job steps, hazards and controls

#Job stepHazardsRisk beforeControlsRisk after
1Prop the structure as the engineer designed
  • Structural collapse during alterations
High
  • Get an engineer to check before removing any wall, beam, post or bracing that may be load-bearing. Elimination
  • Keep everyone clear of the area under and next to the work. Engineering (guarding)
  • Install temporary props, needles or shoring as designed before removing any support. Engineering
  • Follow the engineer's sequence. Do not change it without approval. Administrative
  • Check props daily. Do not remove them until the permanent support is in and approved. Administrative
  • Wear a hard hat and safety boots. PPE
Medium
2Lift the beam with plant, never by hand above head height
  • Crane and lifting failure
  • Lifting and carrying heavy loads
High
  • Barricade the lift zone and keep everyone out from under the load. Engineering (guarding)
  • Use a crane rated for the load at the radius, set up on firm ground with outrigger pads. Engineering
  • Check slings, chains, shackles and hooks before use. Remove anything damaged or not tagged. Engineering
  • Plan the lift: weight, radius, ground, path and landing area. Use a written lift plan for complex lifts. Administrative
  • Use a certified crane operator who has also been evaluated by the employer, with the evaluation documented on site (29 CFR 1926.1427), plus a qualified rigger (1926.1425) and a qualified signal person (1926.1428). Administrative
  • Use tag lines to control loads and agree on clear radio or hand signals. Administrative
  • Stop lifting in high wind or when the operator cannot see the signal person. Administrative
  • Never ride on a load or hook. Administrative
  • Wear a hard hat, hi-vis, gloves and safety boots. PPE
  • 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
  • Rotate tasks and take breaks on long lifting jobs. Administrative
  • Wear gloves for grip and safety boots to protect your feet. PPE
Medium
3Guide with tag lines, never under the load
  • Falling tools and materials
High
  • 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
4Seat and fix the beam on padstones or brackets
  • Structural collapse during alterations
  • Falling from a ladder
High
  • Structural collapse during alterations: see step 1 for the full controls Administrative
  • 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
5Remove props once approved and clean up
  • Poor housekeeping and waste
Medium
  • 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)Hard hat (ANSI Z89.1)Work glovesSafety glasses (ANSI Z87.1)High-visibility safety apparel, ANSI/ISEA 107 Class 2 or 3 (Type R near roadways)

Plant and equipment

Mobile crane: Operator certified by an accredited body or audited employer program (29 CFR 1926.1427) and evaluated by the employer, with a signed evaluation on site (1926.1427(f)); qualified rigger (1926.1425) and qualified signal person (1926.1428)Telehandler: Trained and evaluated operator, certified by the employer with name, training date, evaluation date and evaluator; re-evaluated every 3 years (29 CFR 1910.178(l), via 1926.602(d)). If used to hoist a suspended load with a winch or jib, crane rules apply (29 CFR 1926 Subpart CC)Hand toolsPower drill

Permits and plans

Critical lift plan

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 steel beam 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 steel beam installation

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

The safe sequence of work

  1. Prop the structure as the engineer designed
  2. Lift the beam with plant, never by hand above head height
  3. Guide with tag lines, never under the load
  4. Seat and fix the beam on padstones or brackets
  5. Remove props once approved and clean up

Hazards to watch on steel beam installation

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

Step 2Crane and lifting failureA load falls or swings, or the crane tips, crushing workers under or near the lift.
Step 1, 4Structural collapse during alterationsRemoving a wall, beam, post or bracing makes part of the building fall on workers.
Step 4Falling from a ladderThe ladder slips or tips, or the worker overreaches, and they fall onto a hard surface.
Step 3Falling tools and materialsTools, materials or debris fall from above and hit someone working or walking below.
Step 2Lifting and carrying heavy loadsLifting, carrying, pushing or twisting with heavy or awkward loads strains the back, shoulders or knees.
Step 5Poor housekeeping and wasteTrash, offcuts and materials left lying around cause trips, cuts and fires, and block exits.
Almost certainLikelyPossibleUnlikelyRareHow bad it could be: First aid only to FatalityBA
Highest risk on steel beam installation: High before controls (B), down to Medium after controls (A), on the United States 5 by 5 risk matrix (likely and recordable / lost time 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)?

Licences and legal requirements in United States

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

  • Mobile crane: Operator certified by an accredited body or audited employer program (29 CFR 1926.1427) and evaluated by the employer, with a signed evaluation on site (1926.1427(f)); qualified rigger (1926.1425) and qualified signal person (1926.1428)
  • Telehandler: Trained and evaluated operator, certified by the employer with name, training date, evaluation date and evaluator; re-evaluated every 3 years (29 CFR 1910.178(l), via 1926.602(d)). If used to hoist a suspended load with a winch or jib, crane rules apply (29 CFR 1926 Subpart CC)

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 CC; 29 CFR 1926.501(c); 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 steel beam installation?

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

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

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

Sources