Demolition · Canada

FLHA for load bearing wall 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 load bearing wall 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 silica dust from concrete, brick, stone and tiles, disturbing asbestos, electric shock from live wiring and demolition and falling debris.

Make this FLHA now Word template PDF

FLHA example: load bearing wall removal

This is a complete FLHA for load bearing wall removal, with 6 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)

Load-bearing wall removal · Demolition · Example

Document FLHA-001 · Rev 1

Job steps, hazards and controls

#	Job step	Hazards	Risk before	Controls	Risk after
1	Get the engineer design for the new beam and temporary propping	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) Structural collapse during alterations: see step 3 for the full controls Administrative	Medium
2	Check for asbestos and isolate any services in the wall	Disturbing asbestos Electric shock from live wiring Gas and fuel lines	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 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 Isolate and purge the line before work, with the owner's approval. Elimination Lock off and tag the isolation valve. Engineering (guarding) Check for leaks with a gas detector before and during work, and ventilate the area. Engineering Only licensed gas fitters work on gas lines. Administrative Remove ignition sources: no smoking, no hot work and no sparking tools near the line. Administrative	Medium
3	Install props and needles before taking anything out	Structural collapse during alterations Lifting and carrying heavy loads	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 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 Lifting and carrying heavy loads: see step 5 for the full controls Administrative	Medium
4	Remove the wall in small sections, from the top down	Demolition and falling debris Falling tools and materials Silica dust from concrete, brick, stone and tiles Loud noise	Critical	Check for asbestos, lead, live services and structural risks before demolition starts. Elimination Disconnect and cap power, gas and water before demolition. Engineering (guarding) Set an exclusion zone bigger than the distance the structure could fall. Engineering (guarding) Use a machine with a guarded cab instead of hand demolition where practical. Engineering 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 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 water on the blade or on-tool dust extraction connected to a HEPA vacuum. Engineering Clean up with a vacuum or wet methods. Never dry sweep or use compressed air. Administrative Have a silica exposure control plan where your province requires one. Administrative Use quieter tools and methods, such as cut-to-size materials, low-noise machines and battery tools. Substitution Keep noisy equipment away from work areas, and use screens or distance between the noise and people. Engineering (guarding) Keep tools maintained and use mufflers on compressors and generators. Engineering Limit time on noisy tools and rotate workers. Administrative	Medium
5	Lift in and fix the new beam with enough people or a lifting aid	Lifting and carrying heavy loads Crane and lifting failure Falling from a ladder	High	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 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 certified crane operators and trained riggers and signallers, as your province requires. Administrative Use a platform ladder, mobile scaffold or aerial work platform for longer jobs instead of a straight ladder. Substitution Use CSA Grade 1, 1A or 1AA ladders in good condition. Remove any damaged ladder from site. Engineering Set extension ladders at a 4 to 1 angle on firm, level ground, tied or footed, and reaching 1 metre 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 side rails. Do not overreach. Administrative	Medium
6	Remove props only after the engineer signs off	Structural collapse during alterations Poor housekeeping and waste	High	Structural collapse during alterations: see step 3 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

PPE

CSA green triangle safety boots (CSA Z195)Hard hat (CSA Z94.1)Safety glasses (CSA Z94.3)N95 respiratorHearing protectionWork glovesRespirator fit tested to CSA Z94.4 (P100 for dust, or the type the air test calls for)CoverallsHigh-visibility vest (CSA Z96)

Plant and equipment

Hand toolsCircular sawJackhammerPlatform ladder

Permits and plans

Lift 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 load bearing wall 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 load bearing wall 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
Ladder inspected, secured and extending 1 m above the landing
Asbestos register or survey checked for the work area
Water suppression or on-tool extraction fitted; respirators fit tested
Exclusion zone below the work and public kept out
First aid attendant, first aid kit and emergency number (911) confirmed
PPE checked and worn: CSA green triangle safety boots (CSA Z195), hard hat (CSA Z94.1), safety glasses (CSA Z94.3), N95 respirator

The safe sequence of work

Get the engineer design for the new beam and temporary propping
Check for asbestos and isolate any services in the wall
Install props and needles before taking anything out
Remove the wall in small sections, from the top down
Lift in and fix the new beam with enough people or a lifting aid
Remove props only after the engineer signs off

Hazards to watch on load bearing wall removal

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

Step 4Demolition and falling debrisPart of a structure collapses early, or debris falls and hits workers or the public during demolition or strip out.

Step 5Crane and lifting failureA load falls or swings, or the crane tips, crushing workers under or near the lift.

Step 2Gas and fuel linesDamaging or opening a gas or fuel line causes a leak, fire or explosion.

Step 1, 3, 6Structural collapse during alterationsRemoving a wall, beam, post or bracing makes part of the building fall on workers.

Step 2Disturbing asbestosBuildings built before 1990 may contain asbestos. Drilling, cutting or breaking it releases fibres that cause cancer years later.

Step 5Falling from a ladderThe ladder slips or tips, or the worker overreaches, and they fall onto a hard surface.

Highest risk on load bearing wall 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 work on a roof?
Is there a fragile roof, skylight or clear roof sheet?
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 load bearing wall 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 load bearing wall 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 load bearing wall removal?

Usually CSA green triangle safety boots (CSA Z195), Hard hat (CSA Z94.1), Safety glasses (CSA Z94.3), N95 respirator, Hearing protection, Work gloves, Respirator fit tested to CSA Z94.4 (P100 for dust, or the type the air test calls for), Coveralls, High-visibility vest (CSA Z96). The site rules may add more, so check with the general contractor.

More demolition FLHAs

FLHAInterior Demolition9 steps FLHABathroom Demolition6 steps FLHASmall Building Demolition6 steps FLHAAsbestos Removal10 steps FLHAConcrete Removal5 steps FLHAChimney Removal6 steps

Related jobs in other trades

Excavation and earthworksTrenchingAlso involves gas and fuel lines ScaffoldingScaffold ErectionAlso involves falling tools and materials

Toolbox talks for this job

Toolbox talkLadder Safety Toolbox talkOverhead Power Lines Toolbox talkExtension Leads and Power Tools Toolbox talkSilica Dust

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