FLHA form: the field level hazard assessment for Alberta and BC crews
An FLHA is a short hazard assessment the crew fills in at the work location, for the task in front of them, before the work starts. It lists the hazards, how each one is controlled, and who is on the task. When the job or the site changes, the crew updates it.
Need the forms now? Blank FLHA, Alberta report form and 20 filled examples: FLHA Kit (Alberta + BC), CA$29 →
Where the FLHA comes from in Alberta
- Alberta: The OHS Code requires a hazard assessment before work begins, and it must be repeated when the work changes. Crews call the task-level version an FLHA. (OHS Code, AR 191/2021, s. 7(1)-(4))
- Alberta: The OHS Code does not use the term "field level hazard assessment" or "FLHA". The legal duty is the hazard assessment described above. (OHS Code, AR 191/2021, Part 2 (ss. 7-10))
So when a crew in Alberta says FLHA, they mean doing that hazard assessment at the task, on the day. The kit has both: an FLHA for the crew and a hazard assessment report form for the employer's record.
What the hazard assessment report needs in Alberta
- Alberta: An employer must assess a work site and identify existing and potential hazards before work begins. (OHS Code, AR 191/2021, s. 7(1)-(4))
- Alberta: The employer must prepare a report of the results of the hazard assessment and the methods used to control or eliminate the hazards identified. (OHS Code, AR 191/2021, s. 7(1)-(4))
- Alberta: The date the hazard assessment is prepared or revised must be recorded on it. (OHS Code, AR 191/2021, s. 7(1)-(4))
- Alberta: The hazard assessment must be repeated at reasonably practicable intervals, when a new work process is introduced, when a work process or operation changes, and before significant additions or alterations to the work site. (OHS Code, AR 191/2021, s. 7(1)-(4))
- Alberta: The employer must involve affected workers in the hazard assessment and in controlling or eliminating the hazards identified. (OHS Code, AR 191/2021, s. 8(1))
- Alberta: Hazards must be eliminated, or where that is not reasonably practicable, controlled with engineering controls first, then administrative controls, then personal protective equipment, or a combination that gives greater safety. (OHS Code, AR 191/2021, s. 9(1)-(5))
The Alberta report form in the kit has a place for each of these: the date prepared and the date revised, a before-work tick box, a hazard and control table with the control type, the workers who took part, and the reasons to redo it.
FLHA in British Columbia
In British Columbia, crews fill in an FLHA where a prime contractor, a client or a COR program asks for one. This page quotes no BC rule on FLHAs. The same blank form works there.
What goes on an FLHA form
- The date, time, work location, task and crew lead
- Permits in place for the task, the muster point, and the emergency number and site address
- A hazard checklist the crew ticks on the spot
- Each step of the task with its hazards and how each hazard is eliminated or controlled
- The protective equipment for the task
- A sign-on line for every worker on the task
- A box for changes during the day, and an end-of-job check
The hazard checklist on our blank form
Work at height or near an edgeLadders or scaffoldsOverhead power linesUnderground utilitiesTrench or excavationMobile equipment or vehiclesCrane or suspended loadHot work or fireCompressed gas cylindersChemicals (WHMIS labels, safety data sheets)Dust or silicaNoiseElectrical or stored energy (lockout)Lifting, carrying, awkward positionsSlips, trips, housekeepingHeat, cold or weatherConfined spaceWorking alone
How to fill in an FLHA, step by step
- Fill in the top before the task starts: date, time, location, task and crew lead.
- Walk the work area together and tick every hazard that is there today.
- Write the steps of the task. For each step, write the hazards and the control for each one. Get rid of a hazard first where you can; protective equipment comes last.
- Pick the protective equipment the task needs.
- Everyone on the task signs on. Anyone who joins later reads the form and signs too.
- When something changes (weather, a new crew, a new step), stop and update the form.
- At the end of the job, fill in the end-of-job box and hand the form in.
Example: Shingle tear-off and re-roof on a steep roof
Example 1 of the 20 in the kit, as printed. The hazards and controls come from our reviewed toolbox talks for this task.
Roof Brackets and Slide Guards on Steep Roofs
Hazards
- Brackets nailed into sheathing only, not structure, tearing out under load
- Slick or frosty steep slopes sending workers sliding to the eave
- Relying on brackets and planks alone with no personal fall arrest
- Bundles and tools sliding off the roof onto workers below
- Overloaded planks between brackets snapping
- Bad transitions getting on and off the roof at the ladder
Controls
- Nail brackets per the manufacturer, into rafters or trusses, with the nails fully driven.
- Use scaffold-grade planks, and do not span farther than the plank rating allows.
- Personal fall arrest on steep roofs: anchor, full-body harness, and a rope grab set short.
- Stage bundles above brackets or on level platforms so material cannot take the slide path.
- Sweep granules and frost before walking a slope. Wait out wet or icy conditions.
- Extend the ladder above the eave by at least the distance your provincial rules set, and tie it off for the transition.
- Remove brackets from the bottom up at the end, keeping fall arrest connected until you are back at the ladder.
Personal Fall Arrest Anchor Selection
Hazards
- Tying off to guardrails, conduit, vents, sprinkler pipe, or rebar candy canes
- Anchors rated for one worker holding two
- Anchors set low or far away, creating long free falls and swing falls
- Reusing single-use energy-absorbing anchors after a fall
- Steel anchor points welded or bolted by guesswork instead of spec
- Not checking what is under the membrane or deck the anchor screws into
Controls
- Anchor only to points rated for fall arrest under your provincial rules, or engineered by a qualified person.
- One worker per anchor unless the anchor is rated and documented for more.
- Anchor at or above your dorsal D-ring where feasible to shorten free fall.
- Plan swing: anchor as close to directly overhead of the work as you can get.
- Install manufactured anchors per instructions: right fasteners, right structure, right count.
- Inspect anchors before each use and retire any anchor that has caught a fall, per the manufacturer.
- Not sure it is rated? It is not an anchor. Ask before you clip.
Skylight and Roof Opening Protection
Hazards
- Stepping or sitting on a skylight dome that cannot hold body weight
- Uncovered curb openings and penetrations cut for units and vents
- Covers that slide, blow away, or collapse underfoot
- Walking backward rolling out material near openings
- Old covers removed by another trade and never replaced
- Poor visibility at dawn, dusk, or under snow dust hiding openings
Controls
- Guard every skylight: screens, guardrails around it, or personal fall arrest for anyone working near it.
- Cover every roof opening with material that holds the load your provincial rules set.
- Secure covers against wind and displacement, and mark them: HOLE or COVER.
- Never sit, lean, or set material on a skylight, screened or not.
- Walk the roof at the start of the shift and flag every opening before work starts.
- When a cover has to come off, someone guards the hole until it is closed again.
- Brief every trade on the roof: your covers protect them too.
The 20 filled FLHAs in the kit
- 1.Shingle tear-off and re-roof on a steep roof (Roofing)
- 2.Torch-applied membrane on a low-slope roof (Roofing)
- 3.Digging a trench for a service line (Excavation and utilities)
- 4.Excavator digging with workers on the ground nearby (Excavation and utilities)
- 5.Circuit or panel work under lockout (Electrical)
- 6.Boom lift work near overhead power lines (Electrical)
- 7.Erecting or taking down a frame scaffold (Scaffolding)
- 8.Working from a supported scaffold (General construction)
- 9.Exterior work from a swing stage (Building exterior)
- 10.Concrete pour with a boom pump (Concrete)
- 11.Placing rebar for a slab or wall (Concrete)
- 12.Building a block wall (Masonry)
- 13.Cutting or coring concrete (Concrete)
- 14.Welding and torch cutting (Mechanical and steel)
- 15.Moving material with a forklift or telehandler (General construction)
- 16.Crane lift with rigging (General construction)
- 17.Brush and tree cutting with a chainsaw (Landscaping)
- 18.Site grading with a skid steer and dump trucks (Landscaping and earthwork)
- 19.Fixture and ceiling work from ladders (Interior trades)
- 20.Decking at a leading edge (Framing and decking)
Questions
Is an FLHA required in Alberta?
- Alberta: The OHS Code requires a hazard assessment before work begins, and it must be repeated when the work changes. Crews call the task-level version an FLHA. (OHS Code, AR 191/2021, s. 7(1)-(4))
- Alberta: The OHS Code does not use the term "field level hazard assessment" or "FLHA". The legal duty is the hazard assessment described above. (OHS Code, AR 191/2021, Part 2 (ss. 7-10))
How often do you redo a hazard assessment in Alberta?
Alberta: The hazard assessment must be repeated at reasonably practicable intervals, when a new work process is introduced, when a work process or operation changes, and before significant additions or alterations to the work site. (OHS Code, AR 191/2021, s. 7(1)-(4))
Who has to take part?
Alberta: The employer must involve affected workers in the hazard assessment and in controlling or eliminating the hazards identified. (OHS Code, AR 191/2021, s. 8(1))
What is the difference between an FLHA and a JHA?
A job hazard analysis (JHA) breaks a whole job into steps ahead of time, often before the crew is on site. An FLHA is done by the crew at the work location, for the task in front of them, right before it starts, and is updated when conditions change on the day.
Is the FLHA form editable?
Yes. The kit has the blank FLHA and the Alberta hazard assessment report as editable Word files, plus print-ready PDFs.
What does the kit cost?
CA$29 in Canadian dollars, one time, with an instant download.
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