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Bricklaying · United States

JHA for CMU block wall

By SiteSortedBuilt from OSHA standards and guidance · How we write and check theseUpdated

OSHA expects employers to find and control hazards on every job, and many general contractors require a written JHA for CMU block wall before you start.

A JHA breaks the job into steps, lists the hazards in each step and the controls that protect the crew, and the crew signs it. The main hazards are silica dust from concrete, brick, stone and tiles, falling from height, being hit by heavy equipment and impalement on rebar.

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JHA example: CMU block wall

This is a complete JHA for CMU block wall, 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.

Job Hazard Analysis (JHA)
Blockwork wall · Bricklaying · Example
Document JHA-001 · Rev 1

Job steps, hazards and controls

#Job stepHazardsRisk beforeControlsRisk after
1Check footing and starter bars, capping rebar
  • Impalement on rebar
High
  • Guard all protruding rebar to remove the impalement risk (29 CFR 1926.701(b)). Engineering
  • Bend bars over where the design allows. Engineering
  • Use guardrails or covers near vertical rebar so nobody can fall onto it. Engineering
  • Keep walkways clear of exposed bars and mark the hazard. Administrative
  • Wear gloves, safety glasses and safety boots when handling bar. PPE
Low
2Move blocks with plant or two people
  • Lifting and carrying heavy loads
  • Being hit by heavy equipment
Critical
  • 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 plant 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
  • 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 authorized for each machine. Forklift and telehandler operators are trained, evaluated and certified by the employer (29 CFR 1910.178(l), via 1926.602(d)). 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
3Cut blocks with water suppression
  • Silica dust from concrete, brick, stone and tiles
  • Saw cuts and kickback
  • Loud noise
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 wet cutting or on-tool dust collection with a HEPA vacuum, as set out in Table 1 of 29 CFR 1926.1153. Engineering
  • Clean up with a vacuum or wet methods. Never dry sweep or use compressed air. Administrative
  • Have a written exposure control plan and a competent person for silica (29 CFR 1926.1153). Administrative
  • Workers who must wear a respirator 30 or more days a year get a free medical exam every 3 years (29 CFR 1926.1153(h)). Administrative
  • Wear the respirator Table 1 lists for the task: APF 10 (a fit-tested N95 or half mask) for most tasks, APF 25 (such as a loose-fitting PAPR) for tuckpointing with a handheld grinder for more than 4 hours a shift. 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 quieter tools and methods, such as cut-to-size materials, low-noise machines and battery tools. Substitution
  • Keep noisy plant away from work areas, and use screens or distance between the noise and people. Engineering (guarding)
  • Keep tools maintained and use mufflers on compressors and generators. Engineering
  • Limit time on noisy tools and rotate workers. Administrative
  • If you have to shout to be heard at arm's length, wear hearing protection. Administrative
Medium
4Lay blocks from scaffold once above chest height
  • Falling from height
  • Repetitive work and awkward postures
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 lift 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
  • Provide fall protection at 6 feet or more and train workers to recognize fall hazards (29 CFR 1926.503). Administrative
  • Have a rescue plan so a worker hanging in a harness can be brought down within minutes. Administrative
  • Wear a full body harness with a shock-absorbing lanyard, clipped on at all times when using fall arrest. PPE
  • Use tools that cut the effort: powered screwdrivers, long-handled tools and extension poles for overhead work. Substitution
  • Set work up at waist height on benches or trestles where you can. Engineering
  • Use light tools with good grips, and keep blades and bits sharp. Engineering
  • Rotate tasks and take short breaks every hour on repetitive work. Administrative
  • Warm up before heavy physical work and report aches and pains early. Administrative
  • Wear knee pads for kneeling work and gloves for grip. PPE
Medium
5Core fill with pump or mixer, propping walls as needed
  • Wet concrete and cement burns
  • Structural collapse during alterations
High
  • 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
  • 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
6Clean up
  • Poor housekeeping and waste
Medium
  • Order materials to size and send packaging back where you can. Elimination
  • Put dumpsters and waste 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

Safety-toe boots (ASTM F2413)Hard hat (ANSI Z89.1)Chemical-resistant glovesSafety glasses (ANSI Z87.1)N95 respiratorHearing protection (earmuffs or plugs)Work glovesHigh-visibility safety apparel, ANSI/ISEA 107 Class 2 or 3 (Type R near roadways)Half-face respirator (P100 cartridges)Knee padsSafety goggles (ANSI Z87.1)

Plant and equipment

Supported scaffold: Erected under a competent person (29 CFR 1926.451)Cement mixerConcrete saw (cut-off saw)Concrete pump truckTelehandler: Trained and evaluated operator, certified by the employer with name, training date, evaluation date and evaluator; re-evaluated every 3 years (29 CFR 1910.178(l), via 1926.602(d)). If used to hoist a suspended load with a winch or jib, crane rules apply (29 CFR 1926 Subpart CC)

Emergency

Call 911. Add the nearest hospital, the assembly point and the first aid / cpr person for your site.

Sign-off

Supervisor and every worker sign to confirm they have read and understood this JHA.

Free JHA template for CMU block wall

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 JHA

Pre-start checklist for CMU block wall

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

The safe sequence of work

  1. Check footing and starter bars, capping rebar
  2. Move blocks with plant or two people
  3. Cut blocks with water suppression
  4. Lay blocks from scaffold once above chest height
  5. Core fill with pump or mixer, propping walls as needed
  6. Clean up

Hazards to watch on CMU block wall

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

Step 1Impalement on rebarA worker falls or trips onto exposed rebar and is impaled or badly cut.
Step 5Wet concrete and cement burnsWet concrete, mortar and cement burn skin and eyes. Burns can be deep and are often not felt until later.
Step 5Structural collapse during alterationsRemoving a wall, beam, post or bracing makes part of the building fall on workers.
Step 2Being hit by heavy equipmentExcavators, loaders, telehandlers and trucks run over or crush workers, especially when backing up or swinging.
Step 3Saw cuts and kickbackCircular saws, miter saws and table saws cut fingers and hands or throw material back at the user.
Step 4Repetitive work and awkward posturesDoing the same movement for hours, kneeling or working overhead causes long-term damage to joints, muscles and tendons.
Almost certainLikelyPossibleUnlikelyRareHow bad it could be: First aid only to FatalityBA
Highest risk on CMU block wall: Critical before controls (B), down to Medium after controls (A), on the United States 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 work 6 feet or more above a lower level?
  • Will anyone use a ladder or stepladder?
  • Will anyone work on a roof?
  • Is there a skylight, fiberglass panel or other fragile roofing?
  • Will you use a scaffold or rolling tower?

Licences and legal requirements in United States

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

  • Supported scaffold: Erected under a competent person (29 CFR 1926.451)
  • Telehandler: Trained and evaluated operator, certified by the employer with name, training date, evaluation date and evaluator; re-evaluated every 3 years (29 CFR 1910.178(l), via 1926.602(d)). If used to hoist a suspended load with a winch or jib, crane rules apply (29 CFR 1926 Subpart CC)

OSHA requires employers to find and fix hazards and to train workers on them. A JHA breaks the job into steps, lists the hazards in each step and the controls that protect the crew. General contractors often require one before you start.

Rules that apply: 29 CFR 1926.701(b); 29 CFR 1926 Subpart O; 29 CFR 1926.1153; 29 CFR 1926 Subpart I; 29 CFR 1926.52; 29 CFR 1926 Subpart M.

Why JHAs get rejected

General contractors send documents back for these reasons. This example avoids them, but check yours too.

  • Generic steps such as "work safely" or "use PPE" with no task-specific hazards or controls.
  • No OSHA standards referenced for the hazards that have them, such as fall protection, ladders, scaffolds or silica.
  • No competent person named for fall protection, excavation, scaffolds or silica where those hazards exist.
  • Equipment listed without inspection requirements, and no training listed for the people using it.
  • Respirators listed with no respiratory protection program, medical clearance or fit test.
  • Controls rely only on PPE when engineering controls such as guardrails, wet cutting or extraction are feasible.
  • No crew sign-off, or no date and revision when the job has changed.

Questions

Do I need a JHA for CMU block wall?

OSHA expects employers to find and control hazards on every job, and many general contractors require a written JHA for CMU block wall before you start.

Who signs the JHA?

The supervisor or competent person who prepared it signs, and every crew member signs to show they were trained on the hazards and controls before the job starts. Many general contractors also sign to accept it.

How long do I keep it?

Keep this JHA on site during the job, and keep it with the training and inspection records for at least 1 year after the job (longer if your state plan or general contractor requires it). OSHA does not set a retention period for JHAs themselves.

What PPE is needed for CMU block wall?

Usually Safety-toe boots (ASTM F2413), Hard hat (ANSI Z89.1), Chemical-resistant gloves, Safety glasses (ANSI Z87.1), N95 respirator, Hearing protection (earmuffs or plugs), Work gloves, High-visibility safety apparel, ANSI/ISEA 107 Class 2 or 3 (Type R near roadways), Half-face respirator (P100 cartridges), Knee pads, Safety goggles (ANSI Z87.1). The site rules may add more, so check with the general contractor.

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Related jobs in other trades

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Toolbox talks for this job

Toolbox talkSilica DustToolbox talkHearing Protection and NoiseToolbox talkPPE: Personal Protective EquipmentToolbox talkCrane and Lifting Safety

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

Sources