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General contracting · Canada

FLHA for garden suite construction

By SiteSortedBuilt from provincial OHS law and CCOHS guidance · How we write and check theseUpdated

Provincial OHS law requires hazards to be assessed and controlled before work starts. A field level hazard assessment (FLHA) for garden suite construction 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 height, falling from a roof edge, hitting underground services and being hit by heavy equipment.

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FLHA example: garden suite construction

This is a complete FLHA for garden suite construction, 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)
Build a garden suite · General contracting · Example
Document FLHA-001 · Rev 1

Job steps, hazards and controls

#Job stepHazardsRisk beforeControlsRisk after
1Set up fencing and keep the main house occupants away from the work
  • Public entering the work area
  • Working in an occupied home or building
High
  • 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
  • Plan noisy, dusty or risky work for when the building is empty. Elimination
  • Close off the work area with barriers, plastic sheeting or locked doors, and put up signs. Engineering (guarding)
  • Keep fire exits and paths clear at all times. Administrative
  • Tell occupants before you turn off power, water or gas, and before noisy or dusty work. Administrative
  • Lock away tools, chemicals and materials each day, out of reach of children. Administrative
  • Clean up dust and debris at the end of each day. Administrative
Low
2Excavate and pour the slab
  • Hitting underground services
  • Being hit by heavy equipment
  • Wet concrete and cement burns
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
  • 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
  • Use long-handled tools and pumps to cut down contact. Engineering
  • Wash concrete off skin straight away with clean water. Administrative
  • Have clean water and eye wash at the pour. Administrative
  • Wear waterproof gloves, long sleeves and rubber boots with pants worn over the top. PPE
  • Wear safety glasses or goggles to stop splashes. PPE
Medium
3Frame and roof with edge protection
  • Falling from height
  • Falling from a roof edge
  • Nail gun injuries
Critical
  • 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 work platform 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
  • Fall protection plan in place where required. Workers trained in fall protection (Working at Heights training in Ontario). Administrative
  • Have a rescue plan so a worker hanging in a harness can be brought down within minutes. Administrative
  • 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
  • Use a nail gun with a sequential (single shot) trigger, not a contact or bump trigger. Substitution
  • Disconnect the air or battery before clearing jams, adjusting or moving between work areas. Engineering
  • Keep your free hand at least 30 cm from the nailing point. Administrative
  • Never point the gun at anyone or carry it with your finger on the trigger. Administrative
  • Train new users before they use a nail gun, and check for pipes, cables and metal behind the surface. Administrative
Medium
4Connect services by licensed trades
  • Electric shock from live wiring
  • Gas and fuel lines
  • Trench or excavation collapse
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
  • 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
  • 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
Medium
5Fit out and clean up
  • General dust
  • Poor housekeeping and waste
Medium
  • Use low-dust products, such as dust-reduced or pre-mixed compounds. Substitution
  • Seal off the work area with plastic sheeting in occupied buildings. Engineering (guarding)
  • Use tools with dust extraction and a vacuum for clean up. Engineering
  • Lightly mist the area with water to keep dust down, away from anything electrical. Engineering
  • Never dry sweep or blow dust off with compressed air. Administrative
  • Wear a dust mask and safety glasses. PPE
  • 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
Low

PPE

CSA green triangle safety boots (CSA Z195)High-visibility vest (CSA Z96)Hard hat (CSA Z94.1)Safety glasses (CSA Z94.3)Hearing protectionFull body harness (fall arrest)N95 respiratorChemical-resistant glovesSafety gogglesKnee padsSun protection (sunscreen, hat, long sleeves)Work gloves

Plant and equipment

Excavator: Provincial operator trainingConcrete pump truckFrame scaffold: Provincial scaffold erector trainingNail gunCircular saw

Permits and plans

Roof 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 garden suite construction

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 garden suite construction

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

The safe sequence of work

  1. Set up fencing and keep the main house occupants away from the work
  2. Excavate and pour the slab
  3. Frame and roof with edge protection
  4. Connect services by licensed trades
  5. Fit out and clean up

Hazards to watch on garden suite construction

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

Step 3Nail gun injuriesA nail gun fires by accident, or a nail goes through the timber or ricochets and hits the user or someone nearby.
Step 4Trench 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 2Wet concrete and cement burnsWet concrete, mortar and cement burn skin and eyes. Burns can be deep and are often not felt until later.
Step 4Gas and fuel linesDamaging or opening a gas or fuel line causes a leak, fire or explosion.
Step 3Falling from a roof edgeA worker slips or walks off the edge of a roof or gutter line and falls to the ground.
Step 1Working in an occupied home or buildingResidents, staff or children wander into the work area and get hurt, or the work blocks exits or cuts off power or water while people are inside.
Almost certainLikelyPossibleUnlikelyRareHow bad it could be: First aid only to FatalityBA
Highest risk on garden suite construction: 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
  • Frame scaffold: Provincial scaffold erector 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, fall protection; Provincial OHS regulation, electrical safety, and CSA Z462; Provincial OHS regulation, excavations and trenches.

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 garden suite construction

Province or territoryKey local ruleRegulator
OntarioFall 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 ColumbiaFall 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
AlbertaA 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
QuebecGuardrails (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)
ManitobaA 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
SaskatchewanAn 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 ScotiaWorkers 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 BrunswickFall 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 LabradorGive 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 IslandFall 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
YukonEvery 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 TerritoriesFall 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)
NunavutNo 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 garden suite construction?

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

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 garden suite construction?

Usually CSA green triangle safety boots (CSA Z195), High-visibility vest (CSA Z96), Hard hat (CSA Z94.1), Safety glasses (CSA Z94.3), Hearing protection, Full body harness (fall arrest), N95 respirator, Chemical-resistant gloves, Safety goggles, Knee pads, Sun protection (sunscreen, hat, long sleeves), Work gloves. The site rules may add more, so check with the general contractor.

More general contracting FLHAs

FLHASite Setup6 stepsFLHAHome Addition7 stepsFLHABathroom Renovation10 stepsFLHAKitchen Renovation5 stepsFLHAResidential Construction6 stepsFLHAShed Construction5 stepsFLHABuilding Maintenance6 steps

Related jobs in other trades

Excavation and earthworksTrenchingAlso involves hitting underground servicesScaffoldingScaffold ErectionAlso involves public entering the work area

Toolbox talks for this job

Toolbox talkWorking at HeightsToolbox talkOverhead Power LinesToolbox talkWorking in Cold WeatherToolbox talkPPE: Personal Protective Equipment

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

Sources