Solar · Canada

FLHA for solar panel cleaning

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 solar panel cleaning 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 a roof edge, electric shock from live wiring, falling from a ladder and glass handling and breakage.

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FLHA example: solar panel cleaning

This is a complete FLHA for solar panel cleaning, 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)

Solar panel cleaning · Solar · Example

Document FLHA-001 · Rev 1

Job steps, hazards and controls

#	Job step	Hazards	Risk before	Controls	Risk after
1	Set up roof access and edge protection or harness	Falling from a roof edge Falling from a ladder	Critical	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 Stop roof work in strong wind or rain, and when the roof is wet, icy or covered in dust or frost. Administrative Wear a harness clipped to a rated anchor when using restraint or fall arrest, and soft-soled non-slip boots. PPE 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 Do not stand on the top three rungs of an extension ladder or the top step of a stepladder. Administrative Check the ladder before each use: feet, rungs, side rails and locks. Administrative Wear non-slip safety boots with clean soles. PPE	Medium
2	Never stand on panels and watch for wet slippery surfaces	Slips and trips Glass handling and breakage	High	Plan walkways and keep them clear of materials, hoses and leads. Elimination Run leads and hoses overhead on hooks or stands, or along walls, not across walkways. Engineering Fill or cover holes, and lay boards or mats on muddy access paths. Engineering Clean up offcuts, packaging and spills as you go, not at the end of the day. Administrative Keep work areas, stairs and access paths well lit. Administrative Wear safety boots with good grip, laced up. 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
3	Check for damaged panels or cables before cleaning	Electric shock from live wiring	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 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
4	Clean with low pressure water and soft brushes	High pressure water jetting Electric shock from live wiring	Critical	Set an exclusion zone around the jetting area. Engineering (guarding) Use a dead man's trigger that stops the jet when released, and check hoses and fittings before use. Engineering Only trained operators use high pressure jetting gear. Administrative Never point the lance at anyone or put a hand in front of it. Administrative Treat any jetting injury as serious and go to hospital, even if it looks small. Administrative Wear a face shield, waterproof clothing, gloves, hearing protection and safety boots. PPE Electric shock from live wiring: see step 3 for the full controls Administrative	Medium
5	Watch for birds, nests and wasps under panels	Bites and stings	Medium	Check work areas before starting, and get pest control to remove nests. Elimination Look before you reach into dark spaces. Administrative Ask owners to keep pets away from the work area. Administrative Know who has allergies and keep their medication, such as an epinephrine auto-injector, close by. Administrative Wear gloves, long sleeves and boots. Use insect repellent outdoors. PPE	Medium
6	Clean up and remove access	Heat stress Poor housekeeping and waste	High	Schedule heavy work for the cooler part of the day. Elimination Provide shade over work and rest areas, and fans or cooling in attics. Engineering Supply cool drinking water close by and drink a cup every 15 to 20 minutes. Administrative Take regular rest breaks in the shade, more often as it gets hotter. Administrative Let new and returning workers build up to full work in the heat over about a week. Administrative Watch each other for dizziness, headache, confusion or stopping sweating. Stop work, cool down and get help. Administrative Have a hot weather plan, including when work stops. Administrative Wear light, loose, long-sleeved clothing, a hat or brim, and sunscreen. 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	Medium

PPE

CSA green triangle safety boots (CSA Z195)Full body harness (fall arrest)Work glovesSun protection (sunscreen, hat, long sleeves)Hard hat (CSA Z94.1)Cut-resistant glovesSafety glasses (CSA Z94.3)Rubber insulating glovesArc flash PPE (CSA Z462)Face shieldCoverallsHearing protection

Plant and equipment

Extension ladderPressure washerHand tools

Permits and plans

Roof access permitFall protection planLockout permit

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 solar panel cleaning

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 solar panel cleaning

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
Ladder inspected, secured and extending 1 m above the landing
Lockout, tagout and test before touch done before work starts
Weather checked: water, shade and rest breaks planned
First aid attendant, first aid kit and emergency number (911) confirmed
PPE checked and worn: CSA green triangle safety boots (CSA Z195), full body harness (fall arrest), work gloves, sun protection (sunscreen, hat, long sleeves)

The safe sequence of work

Set up roof access and edge protection or harness
Never stand on panels and watch for wet slippery surfaces
Check for damaged panels or cables before cleaning
Clean with low pressure water and soft brushes
Watch for birds, nests and wasps under panels
Clean up and remove access

Hazards to watch on solar panel cleaning

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

Step 4High pressure water jettingHigh pressure water cuts through skin and injects water and dirt into the body, or the hose whips.

Step 5Bites and stingsSpiders, wasps, ticks and dogs bite or sting workers in attics, crawl spaces and yards.

Step 2Glass handling and breakageGlass panes break while being moved or fitted, causing deep cuts, or heavy panels fall and crush.

Step 1Falling from a roof edgeA worker slips or walks off the edge of a roof or gutter line and falls to the ground.

Step 6Heat stressHard work in hot weather or hot attics causes heat exhaustion or heat stroke, which can kill.

Step 1Falling from a ladderThe ladder slips or tips, or the worker overreaches, and they fall onto a hard surface.

Highest risk on solar panel cleaning: 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 solar panel cleaning

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 solar panel cleaning?

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 solar panel cleaning?

Usually CSA green triangle safety boots (CSA Z195), Full body harness (fall arrest), Work gloves, Sun protection (sunscreen, hat, long sleeves), Hard hat (CSA Z94.1), Cut-resistant gloves, Safety glasses (CSA Z94.3), Rubber insulating gloves, Arc flash PPE (CSA Z462), Face shield, Coveralls, Hearing protection. The site rules may add more, so check with the general contractor.

More solar FLHAs

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