Tiling · Canada

FLHA for splashback tiling

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 splashback tiling 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, electric shock from live wiring, saw cuts and kickback and working in an occupied home or building.

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FLHA example: splashback tiling

This is a complete FLHA for splashback tiling, with 4 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)

Kitchen splashback tiling · Tiling · Example

Document FLHA-001 · Rev 1

Job steps, hazards and controls

#	Job step	Hazards	Risk before	Controls	Risk after
1	Isolate power to outlets in the splashback	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
2	Protect benches and appliances	Working in an occupied home or building	Medium	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
3	Cut tiles wet and drill holes with water	Silica dust from concrete, brick, stone and tiles Saw cuts and kickback Eye injuries	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 tool guards and screens to stop flying particles. Engineering Use dust extraction and water to keep dust out of the air. Engineering Keep others out of the area when cutting, grinding or chipping. Administrative Keep an eye wash station or eye wash bottles on site. Administrative Wear safety glasses at all times, goggles for dust and chemicals, and a face shield for grinding. PPE	Medium
4	Set, grout and clean	Hazardous chemicals Cuts from sharp edges	Medium	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 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

PPE

Safety glasses (CSA Z94.3)N95 respiratorChemical-resistant glovesRespirator fit tested to CSA Z94.4 (P100 for dust, or the type the air test calls for)Hearing protectionSafety gogglesFace shieldCoverallsCut-resistant gloves

Plant and equipment

Wet tile sawHand toolsPower drill

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 splashback tiling

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 splashback tiling

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
Water suppression or on-tool extraction fitted; respirators fit tested
First aid attendant, first aid kit and emergency number (911) confirmed
PPE checked and worn: safety glasses (CSA Z94.3), N95 respirator, chemical-resistant gloves, respirator fit tested to CSA Z94.4 (P100 for dust, or the type the air test calls for)

The safe sequence of work

Isolate power to outlets in the splashback
Protect benches and appliances
Cut tiles wet and drill holes with water
Set, grout and clean

Hazards to watch on splashback tiling

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

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 3Eye injuriesFlying chips, dust, chemicals or sparks get into the eye and cause damage or blindness.

Step 3Saw cuts and kickbackCircular saws, mitre saws and table saws cut fingers and hands or throw material back at the user.

Step 4Hazardous chemicalsGlues, sealants, solvents, acids, cleaners and cement burn skin and eyes or cause breathing problems and poisoning.

Step 3Silica dust from concrete, brick, stone and tilesCutting, grinding or drilling concrete, brick, stone, tiles or fibre cement makes fine silica dust that causes silicosis and lung cancer.

Step 4Cuts from sharp edgesSheet metal, glass, blades, cable tray and offcuts cut hands and arms.

Highest risk on splashback tiling: 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?

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 splashback tiling

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 splashback tiling?

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 splashback tiling?

Usually Safety glasses (CSA Z94.3), N95 respirator, Chemical-resistant gloves, Respirator fit tested to CSA Z94.4 (P100 for dust, or the type the air test calls for), Hearing protection, Safety goggles, Face shield, Coveralls, Cut-resistant 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)