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General contracting · Canada

FLHA for site setup

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 site setup 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 hitting underground services, electric shock from live wiring, road traffic and being hit by heavy equipment.

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FLHA example: site setup

This is a complete FLHA for site setup, 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)
Site set up and establishment · General contracting · Example
Document FLHA-001 · Rev 1

Job steps, hazards and controls

#Job stepHazardsRisk beforeControlsRisk after
1Get utility locates and check for overhead power lines
  • Hitting underground services
  • Contact with overhead power lines
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
  • Ask the utility to de-energize, move or insulate the lines before work starts. Elimination
  • Use non-conductive (fibreglass) ladders near any power lines. Substitution
  • Mark the safe distance with flags, tape or goal posts and keep all equipment and people outside it. Engineering (guarding)
  • Keep to the provincial limits of approach and contact the utility before working near lines. Administrative
  • Use a dedicated spotter whenever equipment moves or raises anything near lines. Administrative
  • Treat all lines as live. If equipment touches a line, stay in the cab and keep everyone well away. Administrative
Medium
2Install site fencing and signs to keep the public out
  • Public entering the work area
  • Lifting and carrying heavy loads
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 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
Medium
3Set up toilets, first aid, fire extinguishers and the sign in area
  • Fire and emergencies
  • Poor housekeeping and waste
High
  • Provide fire extinguishers suited to the site, checked and easy to reach. Engineering
  • Keep exits and escape routes clear and signed. Engineering
  • Have a site emergency plan: alarm, exits, assembly point and emergency contacts. Administrative
  • Keep a stocked first aid kit and at least one trained first aider on site. Administrative
  • Know the site address and how emergency services get in. Call 911. Administrative
  • Go through the emergency plan with every worker and visitor at induction. Administrative
  • Keep flammable materials and rubbish away from exits and escape routes. 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
4Arrange temporary power with GFCI protection
  • Electric shock from cords and power tools
  • Electric shock from live wiring
Critical
  • Use battery-powered tools where you can. Substitution
  • Use GFCI protection on all temporary power and portable tools. Engineering
  • Keep cords off the ground and out of water, using stands or hooks. Engineering
  • Check cords, plugs and tools before every use. Tag out and remove anything damaged. Administrative
  • Do not use tools in rain or wet areas unless they are rated for it. Administrative
  • Wear safety boots and dry gloves. 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
  • 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
5Mark delivery routes and parking, away from walkways
  • Road traffic
  • Being hit by heavy equipment
Critical
  • Do the work at low-traffic times, or close the road or lane with approval. Elimination
  • Put solid barriers between the work and traffic where speeds are high, not just cones. Engineering (guarding)
  • Use a truck-mounted attenuator or buffer vehicle on high speed roads. Engineering
  • Set up signs and cones to your provincial traffic control manual, with trained traffic control persons. Administrative
  • Get a road occupancy permit from the municipality or road authority before you start. Administrative
  • Park work vehicles to shield the work zone, with beacons on. Administrative
  • Wear high-visibility clothing to CSA Z96. PPE
  • 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
  • Operators are trained and competent for each machine. Administrative
  • Do a pre-start check on each machine every day and record it. Administrative
  • Wear hi-vis clothing and a hard hat. PPE
Medium
6Run the site induction for every worker
  • Working alone
  • Fatigue
High
  • Do not do high risk work alone: work at height, confined spaces, live electrical or trenches. Elimination
  • Set a check-in system: call or text at set times, and someone follows up if there is no reply. Administrative
  • Tell someone where you are working and when you expect to finish. Administrative
  • Carry a charged phone. Use a personal alarm or GPS device where there is no signal. Administrative
  • Follow your province's working alone rules: a named person checks in with the worker at set intervals and at the end of the shift, and acts if there is no reply. In BC the procedure must be written. Administrative
  • Keep a first aid kit on hand and know the site address for emergency services. Administrative
  • Plan hours so workers get a proper break between shifts and do not work long stretches without a day off. Elimination
  • Avoid high risk tasks at the end of long shifts. Administrative
  • Take regular breaks and rotate tiring tasks. Administrative
  • Speak up if you or a workmate are too tired to work safely. Administrative
  • Plan travel so nobody drives a long way home after a long shift. Administrative
Medium

PPE

CSA green triangle safety boots (CSA Z195)High-visibility vest (CSA Z96)Hard hat (CSA Z94.1)Work gloves

Plant and equipment

TrailerHand toolsPortable generatorSkid steer: Provincial operator training

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 site setup

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 site setup

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

The safe sequence of work

  1. Get utility locates and check for overhead power lines
  2. Install site fencing and signs to keep the public out
  3. Set up toilets, first aid, fire extinguishers and the sign in area
  4. Arrange temporary power with GFCI protection
  5. Mark delivery routes and parking, away from walkways
  6. Run the site induction for every worker

Hazards to watch on site setup

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

Step 6FatigueLong hours, early starts and long drives leave workers tired and slow to react, so mistakes and crashes happen.
Step 6Working aloneA worker on their own is hurt or falls ill and nobody knows to help them.
Step 5Road trafficPassing cars and trucks hit workers or plant working on or next to a road.
Step 3Fire and emergenciesA fire, injury or other emergency happens and workers cannot get out, raise the alarm or get first aid in time.
Step 1Contact with overhead power linesA ladder, aerial work platform, crane, dump truck or long length of material touches or gets close to an overhead line and electrocutes people.
Step 4Electric shock from cords and power toolsDamaged cords, plugs or tools, or water near power, give the user an electric shock.
Almost certainLikelyPossibleUnlikelyRareHow bad it could be: First aid only to FatalityBA
Highest risk on site setup: Critical before controls (B), down to Medium after controls (A), on the Canada 5 by 5 risk matrix (possible 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:

  • Skid steer: 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, electrical safety, and CSA Z462; Provincial OHS regulation, working alone.

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 site setup

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 site setup?

Provincial OHS law requires hazards to be assessed and controlled before work starts. A field level hazard assessment (FLHA) for site setup 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 site setup?

Usually CSA green triangle safety boots (CSA Z195), High-visibility vest (CSA Z96), Hard hat (CSA Z94.1), Work gloves. 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)

Sources