Demolition · Canada

FLHA for asbestos removal

By Safety PaperworkBuilt from provincial OHS law and CCOHS guidance · How we write and check theseUpdated November 9, 2026

Provincial OHS law requires hazards to be assessed and controlled before work starts. A field level hazard assessment (FLHA) for asbestos removal is done on site at the start of the shift and again whenever conditions change.

It lists the tasks, hazards and controls, and every worker signs on before starting and signs off at the end of the shift. The main hazards are falling from a roof edge, disturbing asbestos, electric shock from live wiring and falling through a fragile roof or skylight.

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FLHA example: asbestos removal

This is a complete FLHA for asbestos removal, with 10 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.

Field Level Hazard Assessment (FLHA)

Bonded (non-friable) asbestos removal · Demolition · Example

Document FLHA-001 · Rev 1

Job steps, hazards and controls

#	Job step	Hazards	Risk before	Controls	Risk after
1	Confirm the licence needed, notify the regulator if required, and tell neighbours	Disturbing asbestos Public entering the work area	Critical	Get an asbestos survey before work on buildings built before 1990. Elimination Seal off the work area and keep everyone else out. Engineering (guarding) Disturbing asbestos: see step 6 for the full controls 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) Public entering the work area: see step 2 for the full controls Administrative	Medium
2	Set up the work area with barriers, signs and plastic sheeting, and close nearby windows	Disturbing asbestos Public entering the work area	Critical	If asbestos must be disturbed, keep it wet, use hand tools not power tools, and clean up with a HEPA vacuum. Engineering Follow your province's asbestos rules, including notification and trained or certified workers where required. Administrative Disturbing asbestos: see step 6 for the full controls 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 unauthorised entry". Administrative Make the site safe at the end of each day: cover holes, lower buckets and booms, remove ladders and lock tools away. Administrative Use a spotter when moving equipment or materials across public paths. Administrative	Medium
3	Set up a decontamination point and put on disposable coveralls and a fitted respirator	Disturbing asbestos	Critical	In BC, a qualified person must inspect and write a hazardous materials report before demolition or renovation, and asbestos abatement must be done by a WorkSafeBC licensed contractor (since 1 January 2024). Administrative Stop work straight away if you find suspect asbestos. Do not touch it and tell your supervisor. Administrative Disturbing asbestos: see step 6 for the full controls Administrative	Medium
4	Have a licensed electrician isolate and disconnect power to anything fixed to the sheets, and check where the service line is attached	Electric shock from live wiring	Critical	Isolate the power before any work. Do not work live. Elimination Lock out and tag the isolation point with your own personal lock and danger tag. Engineering (guarding) Test before you touch: prove dead at the point of work with a tested voltage tester. Engineering Only licensed electricians do electrical work, to the Canadian Electrical Code and provincial rules. 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 a permit, a safety observer and insulated tools, following CSA Z462. Administrative Wear insulated gloves, arc-rated clothing and a face shield when testing or working near live parts. PPE	Medium
5	Use fall protection when removing from roofs, as sheets are fragile	Falling through a fragile roof or skylight Falling from a roof edge	Critical	Work from underneath or from an aerial work platform so nobody stands on the fragile roof. Elimination Cover or guard every skylight and fragile sheet with a fixed, marked cover or mesh before work starts. Engineering (guarding) Install safety mesh under new roof sheeting, and use crawl boards or staging to spread the load on fragile surfaces. 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 fibre cement and plastic sheets are fragile. Administrative Put "Fragile roof" signs at every roof access point. Administrative Never walk on sheets between purlins or along skylights. Stay on boards or staging. Administrative Wear a full body harness clipped to a rated anchor. PPE 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 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	Medium
6	Wet the sheets and undo fixings by hand, removing sheets whole with no power tools or breaking	Disturbing asbestos Lifting and carrying heavy loads Heat stress	Critical	Get an asbestos survey before work on buildings built before 1990. 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 your province's asbestos rules, including notification and trained or certified workers where required. Administrative In BC, a qualified person must inspect and write a hazardous materials report before demolition or renovation, and asbestos abatement must be done by a WorkSafeBC licensed contractor (since 1 January 2024). Administrative Stop work straight away if you find suspect asbestos. Do not touch it and tell your supervisor. Administrative Wear a fit-tested respirator suited to the work, and disposable coveralls. 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 equipment 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 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 Let new and returning workers build up to full work in the heat over about a week. Administrative	Medium
7	Lower sheets carefully; never drop or slide them	Disturbing asbestos Falling tools and materials Lifting and carrying heavy loads	Critical	Disturbing asbestos: see step 6 for the full controls 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 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 6 for the full controls Administrative	Medium
8	Wrap sheets in heavy plastic, label as asbestos waste and take to an approved disposal site	Disturbing asbestos Poor housekeeping and waste	Critical	Disturbing asbestos: see step 6 for the full controls Administrative Order materials to size and send packaging back where you can. Elimination Put waste bins and 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	Medium
9	Clean up with an H-class vacuum and wet wipes, then decontaminate	Disturbing asbestos	Critical	Disturbing asbestos: see step 6 for the full controls Administrative	Medium
10	Get a clearance inspection before others enter	Disturbing asbestos	Critical	Disturbing asbestos: see step 6 for the full controls Administrative	Medium

PPE

Respirator fit tested to CSA Z94.4 (P100 for dust, or the type the air test calls for)CoverallsChemical-resistant glovesCSA green triangle safety boots (CSA Z195)Safety glasses (CSA Z94.3)Work glovesHigh-visibility vest (CSA Z96)Full body harness (fall arrest)Hard hat (CSA Z94.1)Sun protection (sunscreen, hat, long sleeves)

Plant and equipment

Hand toolsHEPA vacuumExtension ladderTrailer

Permits and plans

Asbestos abatement plan / hazardous materials surveyRoof access permitFall protection plan

Emergency

Call 911. Add the nearest hospital, the muster point and the first aid attendant for your site.

Sign-off

Supervisor and every worker sign to confirm they have read and understood this FLHA, then sign off at the end of the shift.

Free FLHA template for asbestos removal

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 FLHA

Pre-start checklist for asbestos removal

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

FLHA read, explained and signed by everyone on the job
Guardrails or fall protection in place before anyone works at 3 m or more
Fragile roof areas and skylights covered or barricaded
Asbestos register or survey checked for the work area
Exclusion zone below the work and public kept out
Weather checked: water, shade and rest breaks planned
First aid attendant, first aid kit and emergency number (911) confirmed
PPE checked and worn: respirator fit tested to CSA Z94.4 (P100 for dust, or the type the air test calls for), coveralls, chemical-resistant gloves, CSA green triangle safety boots (CSA Z195)

The safe sequence of work

Confirm the licence needed, notify the regulator if required, and tell neighbours
Set up the work area with barriers, signs and plastic sheeting, and close nearby windows
Set up a decontamination point and put on disposable coveralls and a fitted respirator
Have a licensed electrician isolate and disconnect power to anything fixed to the sheets, and check where the service line is attached
Use fall protection when removing from roofs, as sheets are fragile
Wet the sheets and undo fixings by hand, removing sheets whole with no power tools or breaking
Lower sheets carefully; never drop or slide them
Wrap sheets in heavy plastic, label as asbestos waste and take to an approved disposal site
Clean up with an H-class vacuum and wet wipes, then decontaminate
Get a clearance inspection before others enter

Hazards to watch on asbestos removal

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

Step 5Falling through a fragile roof or skylightA worker steps on a skylight, clear sheet or old fibre cement roof and falls through to the floor below.

Step 5Falling from a roof edgeA worker slips or walks off the edge of a roof or gutter line and falls to the ground.

Step 6Heat stressHard work in hot weather or hot attics causes heat exhaustion or heat stroke, which can kill.

Step 1, 2, 3, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10Disturbing asbestosBuildings built before 1990 may contain asbestos. Drilling, cutting or breaking it releases fibres that cause cancer years later.

Step 7Falling tools and materialsTools, materials or debris fall from above and hit someone working or walking below.

Step 1, 2Public entering the work areaMembers of the public, including children, walk into the site and are hit by plant or falling objects, or fall into holes.

Highest risk on asbestos removal: Critical before controls (B), down to Medium after controls (A), on the Canada 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):

Could anyone fall 3 metres or more, or fall any distance into machinery, water, a hazardous substance or through an opening?
Will anyone use a ladder or stepladder?
Will anyone work on a roof?
Will you use a scaffold or mobile tower?
Will you use an aerial work platform (scissor lift or boom lift)?

Why FLHAs get rejected

Prime contractors and COR auditors send documents back for these reasons. This example avoids them, but check yours too.

End of shift boxes already say "None" when the form was signed at the start of the shift.
One FLHA reused for days or weeks, or a "review by" date a month away, when the work and conditions change daily.
No time of assessment and no record of any revision, which Alberta s.7(3) requires.
Workers signed that they "read" it, but nothing shows they took part, which Alberta s.8(1) requires.
Work at height with no fall protection plan where the province requires one, or no written rescue procedure for workers using fall arrest.
Permits or locates required on site but no permit or ticket numbers recorded.
No re-assessment entry after an obvious change such as weather, a new task or a new crew member.

Rules by province for asbestos removal

Province or territory	Key local rule	Regulator
Ontario	Fall protection (O. Reg. 213/91 s.26) applies at a fall of more than 3 m, more than 1.2 m where the work area is used as a path for a wheelbarrow or similar equipment, and at any height into operating machinery, water or other liquid, a hazardous substance, or through an opening.	Ontario Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development
British Columbia	Fall protection is required where a fall of 3 m or more may occur (s.11.2). A written fall protection plan is required at 7.5 m or more where there are no permanent guardrails (s.11.3).	WorkSafeBC
Alberta	A hazard assessment must be done before work begins, and before a new work site is built (OHS Code s.7(1)). The results must be written down with the controls (s.7(2)).	Alberta Occupational Health and Safety
Quebec	Guardrails (Safety Code s.2.9.1, as amended by Decret 63-2025) are needed where a worker could fall into liquid or a hazardous substance, onto moving parts or dangerous equipment, 1.2 m or more when using a vehicle, 1.5 m or more when handling a load, and more than 3 m in all other cases.	CNESST (Commission des normes, de l'equite, de la sante et de la securite du travail)
Manitoba	A prime contractor is required whenever more than one employer or self employed person works on the site at the same time (Act s.7).	Manitoba Workplace Safety and Health Branch
Saskatchewan	An occupational health committee is required at 10 or more workers of one employer (Act s.3-22).	Saskatchewan Ministry of Labour Relations and Workplace Safety, OHS Division
Nova Scotia	Workers must be trained in fall protection before using it or working in, supervising or planning work in a fall protection area, with a refresher at least every 3 years (WHSR s.21.19).	Nova Scotia Department of Labour, Skills and Immigration, Safety Branch (OHS)
New Brunswick	Fall protection is needed from 3 m above water or the nearest permanent safe level (Reg 91-191 s.49(1)(a)(i)).	WorkSafeNB
Newfoundland and Labrador	Give written notice to the minister before starting a construction project that will last 30 days or more, with the site, location, type of work and number of workers (Regs s.8).	Government Services, Occupational Health and Safety Division
Prince Edward Island	Fall protection is needed from 3 m above the nearest safe surface or water (Fall Protection Regulations s.2(1)(a)).	Workers Compensation Board of PEI, OHS Division
Yukon	Every employer must do hazard assessments with the committee, representative or workers, and redo them after significant changes or incidents (Regs s.1.03.01).	Yukon Workers' Safety and Compensation Board
Northwest Territories	Fall protection is needed from 3 m, or lower if there is a risk of injury (s.119(1)). Guardrails are needed for falls of 1.2 m to 3 m at permanent work sites (s.119(2)).	Workers' Safety and Compensation Commission (WSCC)
Nunavut	No 911. To reach the RCMP in an emergency, dial your community's first three digits then 1111 (Iqaluit: 979-1111). Put the local fire, ambulance and RCMP numbers on every FLHA.	Workers' Safety and Compensation Commission (WSCC)

Questions

Do I need an FLHA for asbestos removal?

Who signs the FLHA?

The supervisor and every worker take part in the assessment and sign on before work starts, then sign off at the end of the shift. Review it and re-sign whenever the task or conditions change.

How long do I keep it?

Keep completed hazard assessments for at least 3 years (COR auditors sample the last 12 months). Review this FLHA and re-sign whenever the task, crew or conditions change.

What PPE is needed for asbestos removal?

Usually Respirator fit tested to CSA Z94.4 (P100 for dust, or the type the air test calls for), Coveralls, Chemical-resistant gloves, CSA green triangle safety boots (CSA Z195), Safety glasses (CSA Z94.3), Work gloves, High-visibility vest (CSA Z96), Full body harness (fall arrest), Hard hat (CSA Z94.1), Sun protection (sunscreen, hat, long sleeves). The site rules may add more, so check with the general contractor.

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