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Welding and fabrication · United States

JHA for steel erection

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 erection 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, welding and cutting fumes, aerial lift tip-over or crush and fire from hot works.

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JHA example: steel erection

This is a complete JHA for steel erection, with 9 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)
Structural steel erection · Welding and fabrication · Example
Document JHA-001 · Rev 1

Job steps, hazards and controls

#Job stepHazardsRisk beforeControlsRisk after
1Review the erection sequence and lift plan, and check the crane sits on firm ground
  • Crane and lifting failure
  • Structural collapse during alterations
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
  • Crane and lifting failure: see step 4 for the full controls Administrative
  • 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)
  • Structural collapse during alterations: see step 7 for the full controls Administrative
Medium
2Check for power lines and set the exclusion zone
  • Contact with overhead power lines
  • Public entering the work area
  • Falling tools and materials
High
  • 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
  • Fence off the site with secure temporary fencing and lock the gates when you leave. Engineering (guarding)
  • Give pedestrians a safe, marked path around the work, with ramps for strollers and wheelchairs. Engineering (guarding)
  • Use hoarding, covered walkways or catch fans where work is above public areas. Engineering
  • Put signs at each entry: site name, contact number and "No unauthorized entry". Administrative
  • Make the site safe at the end of each day: cover holes, lower plant, remove ladders and lock tools away. 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
  • Falling tools and materials: see step 9 for the full controls Administrative
Medium
3Before steel arrives, get written notice from the controlling contractor that footings, piers and walls have reached 75% of design strength (or enough to carry erection loads) and that any anchor bolt repairs were approved (29 CFR 1926.752(a))
  • Structural collapse during alterations
High
  • 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
  • Structural collapse during alterations: see step 7 for the full controls Administrative
Medium
4Sling and lift members with a qualified rigger and a qualified signal person. Route loads so nobody works under them, and use multiple lift rigging only as 29 CFR 1926.753 allows
  • Crane and lifting failure
  • Falling tools and materials
  • Strong wind and storms
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 catch fans, debris netting or covered walkways where people pass below. Engineering
  • Tether hand tools when working at height. Engineering
  • Falling tools and materials: see step 9 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
  • Strong wind and storms: see step 7 for the full controls Administrative
Medium
5Guide members into place with tag lines, never standing under the load, and line up bolt holes with a podger, never fingers
  • Falling tools and materials
  • Crane and lifting failure
High
  • 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
  • Falling tools and materials: see step 9 for the full controls 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
  • Crane and lifting failure: see step 4 for the full controls Administrative
Medium
6Bolt up from an aerial lift where you can. On the steel, use fall protection above 15 feet; trained connectors must be tied off above 30 feet or two stories and wear the gear to tie off from 15 feet (29 CFR 1926.760)
  • Aerial lift tip-over or crush
  • Falling from height
Critical
  • Check the ground before setting up. Use outriggers and spreader pads, and keep clear of trenches, pits and slopes. Engineering
  • Use a platform with tilt alarm and secondary guarding (anti-entrapment) where there is an overhead crush risk. Engineering
  • Only trained and authorized operators use aerial lifts and scissor lifts (29 CFR 1926.453 for boom lifts, 1926.452(w) and 1926.454 for scissor lifts). Administrative
  • Do a pre-start check each day. Keep a trained person on the ground who can lower the platform in an emergency. Administrative
  • Never exceed the safe working load, climb on the rails or use a ladder in the basket. Administrative
  • In boom-type platforms, wear a harness clipped to the basket anchor point. PPE
  • 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
Medium
7Bolt each member with at least two wrench-tight bolts per connection before releasing the hoist line (29 CFR 1926.756(a)), and install temporary bracing or guying to the erection design, leaving it until the permanent bracing is complete
  • Structural collapse during alterations
  • Strong wind and storms
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
  • 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
8Plumb the frame, then tension bolts or weld under a hot work permit
  • Welding and cutting fumes
  • Fire from hot works
  • Eye injuries
Critical
  • Remove paint, galvanizing and coatings from the weld area first, or use a process that makes less fume. Substitution
  • Use fume extraction (local exhaust ventilation) close to the weld. Engineering
  • Weld outdoors or in a well-ventilated area, and keep your head out of the fume plume. Engineering
  • Never weld or cut in a confined space without testing the air and using forced ventilation. Administrative
  • Wear a powered air respirator or fitted respirator when extraction is not enough. PPE
  • Use cold work methods where you can, such as bolting, press fittings or cutting with a saw instead of a torch. Elimination
  • Move anything that can burn at least 35 feet away, or cover it with fire blankets. Engineering (guarding)
  • Use fire-resistant screens to stop sparks reaching people or gaps in walls and floors. Engineering
  • Get a hot work permit before starting. Administrative
  • Keep a charged fire extinguisher and fire blanket at the work spot. 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
9Check connections and permanent bracing. Where metal decking goes down, use a controlled decking zone only between 15 and 30 feet, with trained workers and marked boundaries (29 CFR 1926.760(c)). Then clean up offcuts and bolts
  • Poor housekeeping and waste
  • Falling tools and materials
High
  • 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
  • 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

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)Personal fall arrest system (harness)Work glovesSafety glasses (ANSI Z87.1)Welding helmet (ANSI Z87.1)Welding glovesHalf-face respirator (P100 cartridges)CoverallsFace shield (ANSI Z87.1)Safety goggles (ANSI Z87.1)

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)Boom lift (aerial lift): Trained and authorized operator (29 CFR 1926.453, ANSI A92.24 training and familiarization)Welding machinePower drillHand tools

Permits and plans

Critical lift planWritten fall protection plan (only where guardrails, nets or personal fall arrest are not feasible, 1926.502(k))Hot work permit (fire watch at least 60 minutes after, NFPA 51B)

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.

Page 1 of the free steel erection JHA template: business details, job steps with hazards, risk ratings and controls

Free JHA template for steel erection

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 erection

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

The safe sequence of work

  1. Review the erection sequence and lift plan, and check the crane sits on firm ground
  2. Check for power lines and set the exclusion zone
  3. Before steel arrives, get written notice from the controlling contractor that footings, piers and walls have reached 75% of design strength (or enough to carry erection loads) and that any anchor bolt repairs were approved (29 CFR 1926.752(a))
  4. Sling and lift members with a qualified rigger and a qualified signal person. Route loads so nobody works under them, and use multiple lift rigging only as 29 CFR 1926.753 allows
  5. Guide members into place with tag lines, never standing under the load, and line up bolt holes with a podger, never fingers
  6. Bolt up from an aerial lift where you can. On the steel, use fall protection above 15 feet; trained connectors must be tied off above 30 feet or two stories and wear the gear to tie off from 15 feet (29 CFR 1926.760)
  7. Bolt each member with at least two wrench-tight bolts per connection before releasing the hoist line (29 CFR 1926.756(a)), and install temporary bracing or guying to the erection design, leaving it until the permanent bracing is complete
  8. Plumb the frame, then tension bolts or weld under a hot work permit
  9. Check connections and permanent bracing. Where metal decking goes down, use a controlled decking zone only between 15 and 30 feet, with trained workers and marked boundaries (29 CFR 1926.760(c)). Then clean up offcuts and bolts

Hazards to watch on steel erection

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

Step 8Welding and cutting fumesWelding, cutting and brazing give off metal fumes and gases that damage the lungs and can cause cancer.
Step 6Aerial lift tip-over or crushThe platform tips on soft or sloping ground, the worker is crushed against a beam or ceiling, or is thrown out of the basket.
Step 1, 4, 5Crane and lifting failureA load falls or swings, or the crane tips, crushing workers under or near the lift.
Step 2Contact 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 8Fire from hot worksSparks and heat from welding, grinding or flame torches set fire to timber, insulation, rubbish or fuel nearby.
Step 4, 7Strong wind and stormsWind blows sheets, panels and people off roofs and scaffolds, and storms and lightning make work at height and lifting unsafe.
Almost certainLikelyPossibleUnlikelyRareHow bad it could be: First aid only to FatalityBA
Highest risk on steel erection: 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 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?
  • Was the building built before 1981?

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)
  • Boom lift (aerial lift): Trained and authorized operator (29 CFR 1926.453, ANSI A92.24 training and familiarization)

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 1926.1408 and 1926.416; 29 CFR 1926.501(c); 29 CFR 1926.453 (boom lifts); 1926.452(w) and 1926.454 (scissor lifts); 29 CFR 1926 Subpart M; 29 CFR 1926 Subpart J; 29 CFR 1926.352 and NFPA 51B (35 ft rule also in 1910.252(a)).

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 erection?

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

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), Personal fall arrest system (harness), Work gloves, Safety glasses (ANSI Z87.1), Welding helmet (ANSI Z87.1), Welding gloves, Half-face respirator (P100 cartridges), Coveralls, Face shield (ANSI Z87.1), Safety goggles (ANSI Z87.1). 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)

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