SiteSorted
General contracting · United States

JHA for site mobilization

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

Make this JHA nowWord templatePDF

JHA example: site mobilization

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

Job steps, hazards and controls

#Job stepHazardsRisk beforeControlsRisk after
1Get 811 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 dig or vacuum excavate to expose services before using a machine near them. Engineering
  • Call 811 before you dig and wait until all utilities have marked their lines. Administrative
  • Keep plans or locate tickets on site and check them again if the work area grows. Administrative
  • Support or protect exposed utilities so they cannot sag or break while the excavation is open (29 CFR 1926.651(b)(4)). 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 (fiberglass) ladders near any power lines. Substitution
  • Mark the safe distance with flags, tape or warning lines and keep all equipment and people outside it. Engineering (guarding)
  • Keep equipment at least 10 feet from lines up to 50 kV once the utility confirms the voltage, more for higher voltages, and 20 feet when the voltage is unknown (29 CFR 1926.1408). Administrative
  • Use a dedicated spotter whenever equipment moves or raises anything near lines. Administrative
  • Treat all lines as energized. If equipment touches a line, the operator stays in the cab and everyone else keeps 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 unauthorized entry". Administrative
  • Make the site safe at the end of each day: cover holes, lower plant, remove ladders and lock tools away. Administrative
  • Use a spotter when moving plant 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 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
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 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
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 GFCIs on all 120-volt, 15, 20 and 30 amp temporary receptacles, or a written assured equipment grounding conductor program run by a competent person with recorded tests (29 CFR 1926.404(b)(1)). 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 disconnecting means with your own personal lock and tag so the circuit cannot be energized (29 CFR 1926.417). Engineering (guarding)
  • Test before you touch: prove dead at the point of work with a tested voltage tester. Engineering
  • Only qualified persons work on or near exposed energized parts. 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 an energized work permit, a safety observer and insulated tools, following NFPA 70E. 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 work zone signs and cones to MUTCD Part 6, with trained flaggers. Administrative
  • Get any permit needed from the city, county or state DOT before you start. Administrative
  • Park work vehicles to shield the work zone, with beacons on. Administrative
  • Wear ANSI/ISEA 107 Class 2 or 3 high-visibility clothing. 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
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
  • 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

Safety-toe boots (ASTM F2413)High-visibility safety apparel, ANSI/ISEA 107 Class 2 or 3 (Type R near roadways)Hard hat (ANSI Z89.1)Work gloves

Plant and equipment

TrailerHand toolsPortable generatorSkid steer

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 site mobilization

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 site mobilization

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

The safe sequence of work

  1. Get 811 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 mobilization

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 lift, 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 mobilization: Critical before controls (B), down to Medium after controls (A), on the United States 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):

  • 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?

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 site mobilization?

OSHA expects employers to find and control hazards on every job, and many general contractors require a written JHA for site mobilization 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 site mobilization?

Usually Safety-toe boots (ASTM F2413), High-visibility safety apparel, ANSI/ISEA 107 Class 2 or 3 (Type R near roadways), Hard hat (ANSI Z89.1), Work gloves. The site rules may add more, so check with the general contractor.

More general contracting JHAs

JHAHome Addition7 stepsJHABathroom Remodel10 stepsJHAKitchen Remodel5 stepsJHAResidential Construction6 stepsJHAGarage Construction5 stepsJHAADU Construction5 stepsJHABuilding Maintenance6 steps

Related jobs in other trades

Excavation and earthworksTrenching and ExcavationAlso involves hitting underground servicesConcretingConcrete Slab PourAlso involves contact with overhead power linesLandscapingTree RemovalAlso involves contact with overhead power linesScaffoldingScaffold ErectionAlso involves contact with overhead power linesRoofingRoof ReplacementAlso involves contact with overhead power linesWelding and fabricationSteel ErectionAlso involves contact with overhead power lines

Toolbox talks for this job

Toolbox talkWorking at HeightsToolbox talkOverhead Power LinesToolbox talkExtension Leads and Power ToolsToolbox talkFatigue Management

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

Sources