Excavation and earthworks · Canada

FLHA for storm drain installation

By SiteSortedBuilt 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 storm drain installation 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, hitting underground services, trench or excavation collapse and being hit by heavy equipment.

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FLHA example: storm drain installation

This is a complete FLHA for storm drain 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.

Field Level Hazard Assessment (FLHA)

Install storm drain drainage · Excavation and earthworks · Example

Document FLHA-001 · Rev 1

Job steps, hazards and controls

#	Job step	Hazards	Risk before	Controls	Risk after
1	Get utility locates and mark the pipe run	Hitting underground services	Critical	Keep machine buckets well clear of marked services and use a spotter. Engineering (guarding) Scan the area with a cable locator before digging and mark services on the ground. Engineering Hand expose or hydrovac services before machine digging inside the locate tolerance zone. Engineering Click Before You Dig: lodge a locate request with your provincial one-call service and wait for the locates. Administrative Follow your province's ground disturbance rules and keep locate sheets on site. Administrative Keep plans or locate tickets on site and check them again if the work area grows. Administrative If you hit a service, stop, get everyone clear, and call the owner and emergency services. Administrative Wear safety boots, gloves and hi-vis when digging. PPE	Medium
2	Cut hard surfaces with water suppression	Silica dust from concrete, brick, stone and tiles Saw cuts and kickback Loud noise	Critical	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 Wear a fit-tested N95 (or better) respirator. PPE Keep blade guards fitted and working, and use the riving knife on table saws. Engineering Use push sticks and clamps, and support long pieces so they do not pinch the blade. Engineering Use a sharp, undamaged blade made for the material. Administrative Stand to one side of the blade line, out of the kickback path. Administrative Let the blade stop fully before reaching in or putting the saw down. 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 If you have to shout to be heard 1 metre away, wear hearing protection. Administrative	Medium
3	Dig the trench and pits, protecting edges	Trench or excavation collapse Being hit by heavy equipment Falling through a floor opening or void	Critical	Use methods that keep people out of the trench, such as directional boring or working from the surface. Elimination Barricade or cover the excavation so people and equipment cannot fall in. Engineering (guarding) Shore, slope or use a trench box in any trench deeper than 1.2 metres (1.5 metres in Alberta and Manitoba). Engineering Keep spoil, materials and equipment at least 1 metre back from the edge. Engineering Provide a safe way in and out, such as a ladder near where people work. Engineering Inspect the excavation at the start of each shift and after rain or anything that could weaken it. Record it. Administrative Separate people and equipment with barriers, exclusion zones and marked walkways. Engineering (guarding) Use equipment with working backup alarms, cameras and lights. Engineering Have a site traffic plan showing equipment routes, loading areas and pedestrian paths. Administrative Use a spotter when backing up or working near people. Administrative Make eye contact with the operator before going near. Stay out of the swing radius. Administrative Cover every hole and penetration with a fixed, secured cover marked "HOLE" or "DANGER". Engineering (guarding) Put guardrails with toe boards around stairwells, lift shafts, voids and open edges. Engineering (guarding) Install stairs early and fit temporary handrails as soon as they go in. Engineering Never remove a cover or guardrail without approval. Put it back straight away. Administrative Inspect covers and barriers daily and after other trades have been through. Administrative	Medium
4	Lay pipe to grade and set pits	Lifting and carrying heavy loads Hazardous chemicals	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 Rotate tasks and take breaks on long lifting jobs. Administrative Wear gloves for grip and safety boots to protect your feet. PPE Choose the least harmful product that does the job, for example water-based instead of solvent-based. Substitution Use chemicals in well-ventilated areas, or use fans and extraction in closed rooms. Engineering Read the Safety Data Sheet (SDS) and WHMIS labels before use. Workers have WHMIS training. Administrative Keep chemicals in labelled containers. Never decant into drink bottles. Administrative Store chemicals away from heat, food and drink, and keep products that react with each other apart. Administrative Have eye wash and a spill kit nearby, and wash hands before eating. Administrative Wear chemical-resistant gloves and safety glasses or goggles as listed on the SDS. PPE Use a respirator with the right cartridge if the SDS calls for one. PPE	Medium
5	Backfill, compact and reinstate surfaces	Hand-arm and whole-body vibration Loud noise Poor housekeeping and waste	High	Use low-vibration tools and methods, such as a breaker on an excavator instead of a hand jackhammer. Substitution Keep tools sharp and well maintained, and use anti-vibration handles and seats. Engineering Limit trigger time on high-vibration tools and rotate workers. Administrative Keep hands warm and dry, and take regular breaks. Administrative Report tingling, numbness or white fingers early. Administrative Wear earplugs or earmuffs rated for the noise. PPE Loud noise: see step 2 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	Medium

PPE

CSA green triangle safety boots (CSA Z195)High-visibility vest (CSA Z96)Safety glasses (CSA Z94.3)Work glovesHearing protectionRespirator fit tested to CSA Z94.4 (P100 for dust, or the type the air test calls for)N95 respiratorHard hat (CSA Z94.1)Chemical-resistant glovesSafety gogglesCoveralls

Plant and equipment

Excavator: Provincial operator trainingPlate tamperHand toolsConcrete saw (cut-off saw)

Permits and plans

Ground disturbance permit / locate

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 storm drain 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 FLHA

Pre-start checklist for storm drain installation

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
Openings, voids and penetrations covered and marked
Locates valid and services marked
Shoring, sloping, benching or a trench box in place; spoil kept back from the edge
Water suppression or on-tool extraction fitted; respirators fit tested
Exclusion zone and spotter set up for equipment and traffic
First aid attendant, first aid kit and emergency number (911) confirmed
PPE checked and worn: CSA green triangle safety boots (CSA Z195), high-visibility vest (CSA Z96), safety glasses (CSA Z94.3), work gloves

The safe sequence of work

Get utility locates and mark the pipe run
Cut hard surfaces with water suppression
Dig the trench and pits, protecting edges
Lay pipe to grade and set pits
Backfill, compact and reinstate surfaces

Hazards to watch on storm drain installation

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

Step 3Trench or excavation collapseThe trench walls cave in and bury or crush a worker. Trenches deeper than 1.2 metres (1.5 metres in Alberta and Manitoba) need support or sloping.

Step 5Hand-arm and whole-body vibrationLong periods on jackhammers, grinders, compactors or riding plant cause white finger, numbness and back damage.

Step 1Hitting underground servicesDigging, drilling or driving pegs hits a buried power cable, gas pipe or water main, causing electrocution, explosion or flooding.

Step 3Falling through a floor opening or voidA worker steps into an open hole, stairwell, lift shaft or penetration and falls to the level below.

Step 3Being hit by heavy equipmentExcavators, loaders, telehandlers and trucks run over or crush workers, especially when reversing or slewing.

Step 2Saw cuts and kickbackCircular saws, mitre saws and table saws cut fingers and hands or throw material back at the user.

Highest risk on storm drain installation: 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?
Is there a fragile roof, skylight or clear roof sheet?
Will you use a scaffold or mobile tower?

Licences and legal requirements in Canada

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

Excavator: Provincial operator training

Employers must identify hazards before work starts and control them, and workers must be told about them. A field level hazard assessment is done on site, at the start of each shift or task, and reviewed again when conditions change.

Rules that apply: Provincial OHS regulation, silica exposure limits; Provincial OHS regulation, excavations and trenches; Provincial OHS regulation, fall protection; WHMIS 2015 and provincial OHS regulation.

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 storm drain installation

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 storm drain installation?

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 storm drain installation?

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

More excavation and earthworks FLHAs

FLHATrenching10 steps FLHAFooting Excavation5 steps FLHASite Grading6 steps FLHAPool Excavation8 steps FLHAPost Hole Digging5 steps FLHABackfill and Compaction5 steps

Toolbox talks for this job

Toolbox talkSilica Dust Toolbox talkHearing Protection and Noise Toolbox talkHand-Arm Vibration Toolbox talkPPE: Personal Protective Equipment

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