Field Level Hazard Assessment (FLHA) Complete Guide

A Field Level Hazard Assessment (FLHA) is one of the most practical safety tools available to frontline workers. Unlike office-based risk assessments that are completed weeks before work begins, an FLHA is completed at the job site, immediately before the task starts, by the workers who will actually perform the work.

This guide explains what an FLHA is, how to complete one properly, how it differs from JHAs and JSAs and why digital FLHAs are replacing paper forms across industries.

What is a Field Level Hazard Assessment?

An FLHA is a documented hazard identification process completed by workers at the work site before starting a task. The purpose is to identify hazards specific to that day, that site and that task - including conditions that could not have been anticipated during pre-job planning.

Key characteristics of an FLHA:

• Completed on-site - at the actual work location, not in an office
• Completed before work starts - part of the pre-task routine
• Worker-driven - the crew identifies hazards based on what they observe
• Task-specific - focused on the specific job about to be performed
• Documented - recorded on a form (paper or digital) and retained

FLHAs are most common in oil and gas, construction, mining, utilities and other field-based industries where conditions change daily and pre-planned risk assessments cannot capture every variable.

Why FLHAs Matter

Workplace incidents rarely happen because nobody ever thought about the hazard. They happen because the hazard was present on that specific day, at that specific site, under those specific conditions - and nobody noticed.

FLHAs address this gap by forcing a structured pause before work begins. Studies from the Alberta Construction Safety Association show that crews who complete meaningful FLHAs experience 25-40% fewer recordable incidents compared to crews who skip or rush through them.

Step-by-Step: How to Complete an FLHA

Step 1: Gather the Crew

All workers involved in the task should participate in the FLHA. This is not a supervisor-only exercise. Every person on the crew brings a different perspective and may notice hazards that others miss.

Step 2: Review the Task

Briefly describe the work to be performed. What are the main steps? What equipment will be used? What is the expected duration?

Step 3: Walk the Work Area

Physically walk to and around the work area. Look up, look down, look around. Identify anything that could harm a worker, including:

• Overhead hazards (power lines, suspended loads, falling objects)
• Ground-level hazards (uneven terrain, excavations, trip hazards)
• Environmental hazards (weather, temperature, wind, lightning)
• Energy sources (electrical, mechanical, hydraulic, pneumatic, thermal)
• Chemical hazards (vapors, dusts, stored chemicals)
• Other workers or equipment operating nearby
• Traffic and mobile equipment

Step 4: Assess Each Hazard

For each hazard identified, the crew should discuss:

• How likely is this hazard to cause harm today?
• How severe could the harm be?
• What controls are already in place?
• Are additional controls needed?

Step 5: Identify Controls

Follow the hierarchy of controls when selecting mitigation measures:

1. Elimination - remove the hazard entirely
2. Substitution - replace with something less hazardous
3. Engineering controls - barricades, guardrails, ventilation
4. Administrative controls - procedures, signage, spotters
5. PPE - personal protective equipment as a last line of defense

Step 6: Document and Sign

Record all identified hazards, their controls and the names of participating workers. Everyone signs the FLHA to confirm they understand the hazards and agree with the controls.

Step 7: Reassess Throughout the Day

An FLHA is not a one-and-done document. If conditions change (weather shifts, new equipment arrives, scope changes), the crew should stop and reassess.

FLHA vs JHA vs JSA: What is the Difference?

Feature	FLHA	JHA (Job Hazard Analysis)	JSA (Job Safety Analysis)
When completed	On-site, before each task	Pre-planning phase (office)	Pre-planning phase (office)
Who completes it	Field workers/crew	Safety team/supervisors	Safety team/supervisors
Focus	Site-specific, day-specific hazards	Task-specific hazards	Step-by-step task hazards
Level of detail	Moderate - practical field tool	High - detailed analysis	High - detailed analysis
Frequency	Daily or per-task	Per task type, reviewed periodically	Per task type, reviewed periodically
Regulatory basis	Provincial OHS regulations (Canada)	OSHA recommended practice	OSHA recommended practice

In practice, FLHAs and JHAs/JSAs complement each other. The JHA or JSA provides the baseline analysis for a task type, while the FLHA captures the day-of conditions that the office-based analysis could not predict. Learn more about Job Hazard Analysis and FLHA terminology in our safety glossary.

Digital vs Paper FLHAs

Paper FLHAs have served the industry for decades, but they come with well-known problems:

• Illegible handwriting makes records useless for audits
• Forms get lost, damaged by weather or left in trucks
• No way to verify completion without physically collecting forms
• Trends and patterns are invisible without manual data entry
• Supervisors cannot review FLHAs in real time

Digital FLHA apps solve these problems. With a platform like Make Safety Easy, crews can:

• Complete FLHAs on their phone - even offline
• Use drop-down hazard categories to speed up completion
• Attach photos of site conditions
• Sign electronically with a finger swipe
• Submit instantly to supervisors and the safety team
• Pull up any FLHA instantly for audits or incident investigations

Common Hazards by Trade

Electrical

Arc flash, shock, overhead power lines, lockout/tagout status, energized circuits near work area.

Pipe Fitting and Welding

Hot work fire hazards, confined spaces, toxic fumes, burns, pressurized systems, stored energy.

Heavy Equipment Operation

Struck-by hazards, blind spots, ground conditions, overhead obstructions, underground utilities, bystanders in the work zone.

Scaffolding and Working at Heights

Fall hazards, scaffold stability, weather (wind), dropped objects, access/egress, guardrail integrity.

Best Practices for Effective FLHAs

• Never rush the FLHA - a meaningful FLHA takes 5-10 minutes, not 30 seconds
• Involve the whole crew - not just the supervisor filling out the form alone
• Be specific - "slippery ground near the excavation" is useful; "slip hazard" is not
• Revisit when conditions change - a morning FLHA may not cover afternoon conditions
• Use the FLHA for toolbox talk topics - recurring FLHA hazards make excellent safety discussions
• Review FLHA data monthly - look for trends that indicate systemic hazards

FLHA Implementation: Getting Your Crew to Buy In

The most common failure point for FLHA programs is not the form or the process - it is worker buy-in. Crews that see FLHAs as pointless paperwork will rush through them, copy yesterday's form or fill them out after the work is already done. Here is how to build genuine engagement:

• Explain the why - share real incident case studies where an FLHA would have prevented the injury. Workers respond to stories, not policies.
• Keep the form practical - a 3-page FLHA will never get completed properly. Focus on the critical elements: hazards, controls, signatures.
• Act on the findings - if a crew reports a hazard on their FLHA and nothing happens, they will stop reporting. Demonstrate that FLHA findings drive real action.
• Involve workers in form design - ask your experienced crew members what should be on the FLHA for their trade. Their input makes the form relevant.
• Recognize good FLHAs - highlight crews that identify unusual or important hazards. Public recognition reinforces the behavior.
• Lead by example - supervisors who rush through the FLHA or skip it entirely send a clear message that it does not matter.

FLHA Regulatory Requirements by Province

While FLHAs are standard practice across Canada, the regulatory language varies by province:

Province	Regulation	Requirement
Alberta	OHS Code Part 2, Section 7	Employers must assess a work site and identify existing and potential hazards before work begins
British Columbia	WorkSafeBC OHS Regulation 3.14	Regular inspections must be made at intervals to prevent the development of unsafe working conditions
Saskatchewan	OHS Regulations Part III, Section 3-14	Employers must assess hazards at the place of employment
Ontario	OHSA Section 25(2)(h)	Employer must take every precaution reasonable for the protection of a worker
Manitoba	Workplace Safety and Health Act Section 4(2)	Employers must identify hazards and take corrective measures

In all jurisdictions, the expectation is clear: hazards must be identified before work begins, controls must be implemented and the process must be documented.

Measuring FLHA Program Effectiveness

Collecting FLHAs is not the same as having an effective FLHA program. Track these metrics to gauge real effectiveness:

• Completion rate - percentage of tasks with a completed FLHA (target: 95%+)
• Unique hazard identification - number of distinct hazards identified per FLHA (if every FLHA lists the same 3 hazards, crews are on autopilot)
• Corrective action rate - percentage of identified hazards that resulted in a new or modified control
• Near-miss correlation - compare FLHA hazard data with near-miss and incident reports. Effective FLHAs should predict the types of incidents you experience.
• Time-to-complete - FLHAs completed in under 2 minutes are likely superficial; those taking over 20 minutes may indicate a form that is too complex

Frequently Asked Questions

Is an FLHA legally required?

In Canadian provinces like Alberta, British Columbia and Saskatchewan, workplace hazard assessments before starting work are required by OHS legislation. While the regulations may not use the term "FLHA" specifically, the requirement to identify and control hazards before work begins is universal. In the US, OSHA's General Duty Clause supports the practice even where specific FLHA regulations do not exist.

How long should an FLHA take?

A thorough FLHA typically takes 5-15 minutes, depending on the complexity of the task and the number of hazards present. If your crew is completing FLHAs in under 2 minutes, they are likely rushing through the form without meaningful hazard identification.

What is the difference between an FLHA and a JHA?

A JHA (Job Hazard Analysis) is a detailed, office-based analysis of a specific task type, completed during the planning phase. An FLHA is a field-level assessment completed on-site before work starts, capturing day-specific conditions. Both are important, and they work together: the JHA informs the FLHA, and FLHA findings should feed back into JHA updates.

Can I complete an FLHA on my phone?

Yes. Digital safety platforms like Make Safety Easy offer mobile FLHA forms that work offline, include photo attachments and electronic signatures and sync automatically when connectivity is restored.

Who signs the FLHA?

All workers participating in the task should sign the FLHA. This confirms that each person reviewed the hazards, understands the controls and agrees to follow them. The supervisor or lead hand typically signs as the final reviewer.