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Scaffolding · United States

JHA for roof edge protection installation

By Safety PaperworkBuilt 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 roof edge protection installation 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 falling from a roof edge, falling from height, aerial lift tip-over or crush and falling tools and materials.

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JHA example: roof edge protection installation

This is a complete JHA for roof edge protection installation, with 5 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)
Install roof edge protection · Scaffolding · Example
Document JHA-001 · Rev 1

Job steps, hazards and controls

#Job stepHazardsRisk beforeControlsRisk after
1Plan the system to suit the roof pitch and gutter height
  • Falling from a roof edge
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)
  • Falling from a roof edge: see step 2 for the full controls Administrative
Medium
2Install from a aerial lift or scaffold, or harnessed to an anchor
  • Falling from a roof edge
  • Aerial lift tip-over or crush
  • Falling from height
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
  • Low-slope roofs: guardrails, safety nets, personal fall arrest, or a warning line combined with one of these or with a safety monitor (a safety monitor alone only on roofs 50 feet wide or less). Steep roofs: guardrails with toe boards, safety nets or personal fall arrest (29 CFR 1926.501(b)(10), (11)). Administrative
  • Use one safe, controlled access point and keep others off the roof. Administrative
  • Check the ground before setting up. Use outriggers and spreader pads, and keep clear of trenches, pits and slopes. Engineering
  • Use a platform with tilt alarm and secondary guarding (anti-entrapment) where there is an overhead crush risk. Engineering
  • Only trained and authorized operators use aerial lifts and scissor lifts (29 CFR 1926.453 for boom lifts, 1926.452(w) and 1926.454 for scissor lifts). Administrative
  • Do a pre-start check each day. Keep a trained person on the ground who can lower the platform in an emergency. Administrative
  • Never exceed the safe working load, climb on the rails or use a ladder in the basket. Administrative
  • In boom-type platforms, wear a harness clipped to the basket anchor point. PPE
  • 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
Medium
3Fix brackets into sound structure
  • Structural collapse during alterations
  • Injury from power tools
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
  • 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, jewelry 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
Medium
4Fit rails and mesh, keeping tools tethered
  • Falling tools and materials
  • Lifting and carrying heavy loads
High
  • 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
  • Lower materials with a hoist, chute or rope. Never throw or drop anything down. Administrative
  • Wear a hard hat anywhere objects could fall. 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
  • 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
5Inspect and hand over before roof work starts
  • Falling from a roof edge
Critical
  • 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
  • Falling from a roof edge: see step 2 for the full controls Administrative
Medium

PPE

Safety-toe boots (ASTM F2413)Personal fall arrest system (harness)Hard hat (ANSI Z89.1)Work glovesSun protection (sunscreen, hat, long sleeves)High-visibility safety apparel, ANSI/ISEA 107 Class 2 or 3 (Type R near roadways)Safety glasses (ANSI Z87.1)Hearing protection (earmuffs or plugs)

Plant and equipment

Supported scaffold: Erected under a competent person (29 CFR 1926.451)Boom lift (aerial lift): Trained and authorized operator (29 CFR 1926.453, ANSI A92.24 training and familiarization)Hand toolsPower drill

Permits and plans

Written fall protection plan (only where guardrails, nets or personal fall arrest are not feasible, 1926.502(k))

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 roof edge protection 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 JHA

Pre-start checklist for roof edge protection installation

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

The safe sequence of work

  1. Plan the system to suit the roof pitch and gutter height
  2. Install from a aerial lift or scaffold, or harnessed to an anchor
  3. Fix brackets into sound structure
  4. Fit rails and mesh, keeping tools tethered
  5. Inspect and hand over before roof work starts

Hazards to watch on roof edge protection installation

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

Step 2Aerial lift tip-over or crushThe platform tips on soft or sloping ground, the worker is crushed against a beam or ceiling, or is thrown out of the basket.
Step 1, 2, 5Falling from a roof edgeA worker slips or walks off the edge of a roof or gutter line and falls to the ground.
Step 3Structural collapse during alterationsRemoving a wall, beam, post or bracing makes part of the building fall on workers.
Step 3Injury from power toolsDrills, saws, routers and sanders kick back, catch clothing or throw debris, causing cuts, broken bones and eye injuries.
Step 2Falling from heightA worker falls 6 feet or more from an edge, platform or opening to a lower level and is badly hurt or killed.
Step 4Falling tools and materialsTools, materials or debris fall from above and hit someone working or walking below.
Almost certainLikelyPossibleUnlikelyRareHow bad it could be: First aid only to FatalityBA
Highest risk on roof edge protection installation: 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 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?
  • Was the building built before 1981?

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)
  • Boom lift (aerial lift): Trained and authorized operator (29 CFR 1926.453, ANSI A92.24 training and familiarization)

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 Subpart M; 29 CFR 1926.453 (boom lifts); 1926.452(w) and 1926.454 (scissor lifts); 29 CFR 1926 Subpart I; 29 CFR 1926.501(c).

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 roof edge protection installation?

OSHA expects employers to find and control hazards on every job, and many general contractors require a written JHA for roof edge protection installation 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 roof edge protection installation?

Usually Safety-toe boots (ASTM F2413), Personal fall arrest system (harness), Hard hat (ANSI Z89.1), Work gloves, Sun protection (sunscreen, hat, long sleeves), High-visibility safety apparel, ANSI/ISEA 107 Class 2 or 3 (Type R near roadways), Safety glasses (ANSI Z87.1), Hearing protection (earmuffs or plugs). The site rules may add more, so check with the general contractor.

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

Sources