Electrical FLHA template for Canadian work sites
An electrical field-level hazard assessment (FLHA) checks whether the approved electrical work method still fits the equipment, people and conditions at the point of work. It is a short discussion and record before work starts or resumes. It does not replace the qualified worker's isolation procedure, test for absence of voltage, energized-work authorisation where lawful, utility rules, arc-flash assessment, permit, rescue plan or the employer's formal hazard assessment.
The Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety (CCOHS) hazardous-energy guidance describes how controls depend on the actual energy and task. Its arc-flash guidance says to avoid energized work whenever possible and follow the relevant lockout programme. For an Ontario construction example, the Ministry of Labour electrical-hazards page discusses qualified workers, isolation and verification under Ontario Regulation 213/91. Those Ontario provisions are not a national procedure: apply the current law and utility/owner rules where the job is done.
Work identity and formal authorisations
| Field | Actual job entry |
|---|---|
| Site, equipment/panel/circuit ID and location | |
| Province/territory or federal jurisdiction and applicable owner/utility rule | |
| Employer, qualified worker(s), supervisor and adjacent trades | |
| Exact task and work boundary | |
| Approved electrical work plan and hazard assessment reference | |
| Isolation/lockout procedure and certificate/permit reference | |
| Test instrument, competent tester and verification record reference | |
| Arc-flash/shock assessment and required boundary/PPE reference | |
| Rescue, first aid and emergency contact | |
| Date, time, version and change/review trigger |
Identify every electrical and other energy source that may affect the task, including backfeed, generators, stored energy, UPS, solar, batteries and adjacent live parts. The employer's qualified person decides the actual isolation points and verification sequence. Do not let a copied FLHA table define the test method or safe approach distance.
Point-of-work change check
| Observation to verify | Actual condition | Difference from approved plan? | Action and owner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Correct equipment/circuit identified, drawings current | |||
| Other feeds/backfeed/storage identified | |||
| Isolation points and lock ownership match work | |||
| Test equipment and qualified tester available | |||
| Enclosure condition, moisture, contamination or damage | |||
| Exposed adjacent live parts and barriers | |||
| Arc-flash/shock boundaries and people nearby | |||
| Cables overhead/underground; plant movement or excavation | |||
| Access, egress, lighting, weather and footing | |||
| Communications, rescue and emergency access |
“Same as yesterday” is not enough if equipment has been switched, contractors have connected temporary power or rain has entered an enclosure. Compare the observations with the approved method. If the identification or isolation is uncertain, stop and ask the owner/qualified person to resolve it.
Step-by-step field risk record
| Work step | Credible electrical or related consequence | Engineered/isolation control already verified | Additional action and person responsible | HOLD / release |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Access and secure work area | ||||
| Identify/coordinate feeds | ||||
| Isolate and verify under approved procedure | ||||
| Carry out authorised work | ||||
| Inspect, restore and hand back |
The FLHA can reference an isolation certificate and record that the qualified team verified it. It must not contain a generic “test dead” tick as a substitute for a complete absence-of-voltage procedure. The CCOHS lockout guidance explains why disconnecting a control switch alone is inadequate and why stored energy must be addressed. The person who performs the electrical test must use a suitable instrument and documented method under the applicable rules.
Energized work is a separate decision
Do not use this field form to normalise live work. First ask whether the equipment can be made electrically safe. If a jurisdiction permits work on or near energized equipment in narrow circumstances, a competent authority must document the reason, the legal conditions, qualified people, safe boundaries, controls, PPE, supervision and rescue under the actual law and work procedure. Ontario's construction electrical guidance describes specific provincial rules; another province or utility may differ. A blank “live work approved” checkbox cannot make an unsafe method lawful.
Stop-work and release
| Immediate stop trigger | Competent next step |
|---|---|
| Equipment/circuit or feed identity unclear | Re-identify with owner and qualified person; update plan |
| Lock or isolation mismatch, unexpected voltage, failed test | Make safe; follow formal isolation/test investigation |
| Water, damage, new exposed parts or changed arc-flash boundary | Reassess condition and controls before access |
| Unauthorized person enters boundary | Secure area and rebrief |
| PPE/test equipment unsuitable, rescue unavailable | Obtain correct equipment and competent plan |
| Task changes or new contractor/temporary power appears | Stop and coordinate; revise formal approval if needed |
| Hold/release record | Entry |
|---|---|
| Work stopped and area made safe at | |
| Qualified electrical lead/owner contacted | |
| Actual fault/change and underlying plan affected | |
| Investigation, repair or revised isolation evidence | |
| People and adjacent trades rebriefed | |
| Named competent person releasing work, scope and time |
Do not write “supervisor aware” in the release field unless the work has actually been reassessed and the supervisor has authority to release it. A significant test failure may require investigation beyond the current shift.
Worker briefing and close-out
| Briefing/close-out item | Name/date/evidence |
|---|---|
| Qualified people and roles confirmed | |
| Isolation and verification record located and understood | |
| Boundaries, observers and other trades coordinated | |
| Emergency response and first-aid arrangements confirmed | |
| Workers can state the stop condition | |
| Tools removed and equipment restored under approved procedure | |
| Locks/tags and owner handback handled by authorised people | |
| Defects and follow-up actions assigned |
Example: A crew arrives to service a motor control panel. The approved isolation list refers to one supply, but the panel now has a new backup feed. The FLHA identifies the mismatch and the crew stops. The equipment owner and qualified electrician update the source identification and isolation plan, verify safe condition using the approved procedure and rebrief those affected. Only then does the competent person release the task. The field card surfaced a change; it did not design or certify the new isolation.
Existing owner and Complys boundary
The live Complys Canada hazard-assessment guide owns the general assessment method. This page owns a copyable electrical workface change check and should link to that guide. The proposed /ca/hazard-assessment-software money route was not verified live in this writer-side search. The CA tools directory lists a general hazard-assessment/JHA builder; that is not evidence of an electrical permit, live-work decision tool, isolation verification or arc-flash calculation. After implementation and plan review, a safe CTA is: Ask Complys to show how the current product records the approved task assessment and follow-up actions. It cannot test a circuit, approve live work or certify an electrical installation.
Source, claim, owner, link, product and writer-side QA register — 5 October 2026
| Check | Primary/observed evidence | Decision / publication gate |
|---|---|---|
| Hazardous energy and lockout | CCOHS energy programme, lockout | Qualified task-specific procedure; no invented test sequence. |
| Energized/arc-flash boundary | CCOHS arc flash, Ontario construction guidance | Current local law, equipment and qualified specialist review; Ontario is an example. |
| Existing owner/cannibalisation | CA hazard-assessment guide | Electrical blank field check is distinct; verify repo/unpublished owner and exact route. |
| Product/link | CA general tools directory | No live-work, isolation or arc-flash automation asserted; money route unverified. |
| Copy QA | Direct answer, useable identity/change/step/stop/release tables and example | READY writer-side; independent electrical/legal/product/canonical and whole-page QA remain. |
Terminal writer-side disposition: READY. No live site or Complys repository was modified.