Glazing · Canada

FLHA for window 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 window 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 falling from height, disturbing asbestos, scaffold collapse or fall from scaffold and falling through a floor opening or void.

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FLHA example: window installation

This is a complete FLHA for window installation, with 9 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)

Window installation · Glazing · Example

Document FLHA-001 · Rev 1

Job steps, hazards and controls

#	Job step	Hazards	Risk before	Controls	Risk after
1	Check frames and paint for lead and asbestos	Lead paint dust and fumes Disturbing asbestos	Critical	Test old paint for lead before you sand, scrape, cut or heat it. Elimination Use wet scraping, chemical strippers or shrouded tools with extraction instead of dry sanding. Never burn off lead paint with an open flame. Substitution Seal off the work area with plastic sheeting and keep residents, children and pets out. Engineering (guarding) Clean up with a HEPA vacuum and wet wipes. Never dry sweep. Engineering Wash hands and face before eating, drinking or smoking. Change out of dusty clothes before going home. Administrative Wear a fit-tested respirator with P100 filters, disposable coveralls and gloves. PPE 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	Medium
2	Protect occupants and furnishings and set exclusion areas inside and out	Working in an occupied home or building Public entering the work area	High	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 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	Low
3	Set up access for upper floor windows and barricade below	Falling from height Scaffold collapse or fall from scaffold Falling tools and materials	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 Scaffold is built, altered and taken down only by trained workers supervised by a competent worker, on a firm base with sole boards and ties. Engineering Fit guardrails, mid rails and toe boards on every working platform. Engineering Use mobile scaffolds only on firm, level ground with castors locked and outriggers fitted. Never move one with anyone on it. Engineering A competent worker inspects the scaffold before use each shift, after any change and after bad weather, and tags every access point: green safe, yellow caution, red do not use. Administrative Do not overload platforms. Know the rated load and keep material stacks over the frames. 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	Medium
4	Remove beads and old glass first, wearing cut gloves	Glass handling and breakage Cuts from sharp edges	High	Use suction lifters, glass trolleys or a glazing robot for large panes. Engineering Store glass upright on racks and secure it. Never lay it flat or lean it loosely. Engineering Glass handling and breakage: see step 7 for the full controls Administrative Deburr or cover sharp edges, and fit edge protectors on exposed sheet metal. Engineering Use knives with retractable or self-retracting blades. Engineering Cut away from your body and keep your other hand clear. Administrative Put used blades in a blade bin or sharps container. Administrative Use two people to handle large sheets of metal or glass. Administrative Wear cut-resistant gloves and long sleeves. PPE	Medium
5	Remove the old frame, guarding the open hole	Falling through a floor opening or void Lifting and carrying heavy loads	Critical	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 Keep lighting good enough to see openings, especially on lower floors and in the evening. Administrative Use a harness clipped to a rated anchor when working right next to an open void. 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 7 for the full controls Administrative	Medium
6	Check the opening and lintel, and prop it if it is not sound	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) 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	Medium
7	Lift new windows with two people or suction lifters	Lifting and carrying heavy loads Glass handling and breakage	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 Use suction lifters, glass trolleys or a glazing robot for large panes. Engineering Store glass upright on racks and secure it. Never lay it flat or lean it loosely. Engineering Use two or more people for large panes, and clear the carry route first. Administrative Mark new glass with tape or stickers so nobody walks into it. Administrative Clean up broken glass straight away into a marked container. Administrative Wear cut-resistant gloves, arm guards, safety glasses and safety boots. PPE	Medium
8	Fix, pack, seal and flash the window	Injury from power tools Hazardous chemicals	Medium	Keep all guards fitted and working. Never tie back or remove a guard. Engineering Clamp or secure the work piece. Do not hold it by hand. Engineering Only trained, competent people use power tools, following the maker's instructions. Administrative Check tools before use. Unplug or remove the battery before changing blades or bits. Administrative No loose clothing, jewellery or long hair near spinning parts. Administrative Wear safety glasses and hearing protection. Do not wear loose gloves on drills or other rotating tools. 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
9	Make good, then clean up broken glass and waste	Poor housekeeping and waste Cuts from sharp edges	Medium	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 Cuts from sharp edges: see step 4 for the full controls Administrative	Low

PPE

CSA green triangle safety boots (CSA Z195)Cut-resistant glovesSafety glasses (CSA Z94.3)Hard hat (CSA Z94.1)Respirator fit tested to CSA Z94.4 (P100 for dust, or the type the air test calls for)CoverallsWork glovesN95 respiratorHigh-visibility vest (CSA Z96)Hearing protectionChemical-resistant glovesSafety goggles

Plant and equipment

Power drillRolling scaffold: Provincial scaffold trainingHand toolsPlatform ladder

Permits and plans

Fall 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 window 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 window 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
Guardrails or fall protection in place before anyone works at 3 m or more
Openings, voids and penetrations covered and marked
Scaffold inspected by a competent person this shift
Asbestos register or survey checked for the work area
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), cut-resistant gloves, safety glasses (CSA Z94.3), hard hat (CSA Z94.1)

The safe sequence of work

Check frames and paint for lead and asbestos
Protect occupants and furnishings and set exclusion areas inside and out
Set up access for upper floor windows and barricade below
Remove beads and old glass first, wearing cut gloves
Remove the old frame, guarding the open hole
Check the opening and lintel, and prop it if it is not sound
Lift new windows with two people or suction lifters
Fix, pack, seal and flash the window
Make good, then clean up broken glass and waste

Hazards to watch on window installation

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

Step 1Lead paint dust and fumesPaint from before 1960 almost always contains lead, and paint up to 1990 may. Sanding, scraping or heating it releases dust or fumes that poison workers and families, especially children.

Step 4, 7Glass handling and breakageGlass panes break while being moved or fitted, causing deep cuts, or heavy panels fall and crush.

Step 3Scaffold collapse or fall from scaffoldA scaffold that is badly built, overloaded or altered collapses or tips, or a worker falls from an unguarded platform.

Step 2Working 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.

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

Step 5Falling through a floor opening or voidA worker steps into an open hole, stairwell, lift shaft or penetration and falls to the level below.

Highest risk on window 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):

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 an aerial work platform (scissor lift or boom lift)?
Will you cut, grind or drill concrete, brick, stone, tiles or fibre cement?

Licences and legal requirements in Canada

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

Rolling scaffold: Provincial scaffold 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, lead; Provincial OHS regulation, asbestos; Provincial OHS regulation, fall protection; Provincial OHS regulation, scaffolds; 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 window 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 window 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 window installation?

Usually CSA green triangle safety boots (CSA Z195), Cut-resistant gloves, Safety glasses (CSA Z94.3), Hard hat (CSA Z94.1), Respirator fit tested to CSA Z94.4 (P100 for dust, or the type the air test calls for), Coveralls, Work gloves, N95 respirator, High-visibility vest (CSA Z96), Hearing protection, Chemical-resistant gloves, Safety goggles. 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)