Job Hazard Analysis: Conduit installation

A general example for this task. Your JHA should reflect your crew, equipment and site — review it with a competent person before work starts.

Steps, hazards and controls

1. 1. Walk the route, set up the work area, and inspect tools and cords.

   • Contact with existing energized circuits or panels along the conduit routeHigh
     • Identify every panel, box, and live circuit on the route before work starts and mark them.
     • Plan the route to keep clear of energized parts; de-energize where you must work close.
     • Test before touch with a rated voltage tester; treat every circuit as live until proven dead.
   • Shock from damaged extension cords or power toolsMedium
     • Plug all tools into GFCI protection.
     • Inspect cords and tools before each shift; tag and remove any with cut jackets, missing ground pins, or cracked housings.
   • Tripping over cords, conduit, and debrisLow
     • Run cords along walls or overhead, not across walkways.
     • Keep the work area clear and barricade it from other trades.

2. 2. Unload, carry, and stage conduit sticks, fittings, and strut.

   • Back strain from lifting bundles of rigid conduit or strutMedium
     • Use a cart, pipe dolly, or forklift for bundles; break bundles down on the truck.
     • Use two people for long or heavy sticks and lift with your legs.
   • Striking coworkers with the ends of 10-ft sticks while carryingMedium
     • Carry long sticks on your shoulder with the front end high; look behind before turning.
     • Stack conduit on racks or blocking so it cannot roll.

3. 3. Cut, ream, and bend conduit with a portable band saw, hacksaw, and hand or hydraulic bender.

   • Cuts from the band saw blade and sharp burrs on cut endsMedium
     • Clamp conduit in a pipe vise or tri-stand; never hold short pieces by hand while cutting.
     • Keep saw guards in place and hands out of the blade path.
     • Ream every cut end right away; wear cut-resistant gloves when handling cut conduit.
   • Flying metal chips into eyesMedium
     • Wear safety glasses at all times while cutting and reaming.
   • Back strain, slipping bender handle, or pinch points on hydraulic benderMedium
     • Use a hydraulic or mechanical bender for conduit over 1 inch.
     • Bend on a flat, dry floor with firm footing; keep fingers clear of shoes and rollers.

4. 4. Drill holes and set anchors in concrete or masonry with a hammer drill.

   • Breathing silica dust from drilling concrete or blockHigh
     • Use a hammer drill with a dust shroud connected to a HEPA vacuum, or a drill with built-in dust collection.
     • Never dry sweep or blow out holes with compressed air; vacuum them with the HEPA vac.
     • Follow the company silica control plan; wear a respirator if dust collection is not working.
   • Drilling into embedded conduit, rebar, or post-tension cablesHigh
     • Check drawings and have slabs scanned before drilling; stop if you hit metal and tell the foreman.
   • Noise and wrist injury from drill kickbackMedium
     • Use the side handle and the clutch setting; brace your body before drilling.
     • Wear earplugs or earmuffs while hammer drilling.

5. 5. Mount strut, straps, and conduit overhead from a stepladder or scissor lift.

   • Falling from a stepladderHigh
     • Use a scissor lift for long overhead runs instead of moving a ladder all day.
     • Use a fiberglass stepladder, fully opened and locked; never stand on the top cap or top step.
     • Keep your belt buckle between the rails and move the ladder instead of reaching.
   • Falling or tipping from the scissor liftHigh
     • Inspect the lift before use; keep guardrails and the entry gate closed.
     • Check the floor for holes, slopes, and floor openings before driving; never drive elevated near edges.
     • Never stand on the rails or put a ladder on the platform.
   • Dropped conduit, fittings, or tools striking workers belowMedium
     • Barricade the area below overhead work.
     • Keep fittings in a bucket or pouch and wear a hard hat.

6. 6. Connect conduit to boxes, enclosures, and panels.

   • Shock or arc flash when making knockouts or connecting to an energized panelHigh
     • De-energize the panel, then lock and tag it out with your own lock before opening it.
     • Verify zero voltage with a tester checked on a known live source.
     • If the panel cannot be shut off, stop and get the foreman; only qualified workers with the right arc-rated PPE may work near live parts.
   • Metal shavings from knockout punches and cuts in handsLow
     • Use a knockout punch instead of a step bit where possible; vacuum shavings out of the enclosure.
     • Wear safety glasses and gloves.

7. 7. Clean up scrap, dust, and tools, and remove locks only when work is done.

   • Cuts and trips from scrap conduit and shavingsLow
     • Put scrap in a scrap bin as you go, not at the end of the day.
     • Clean up silica dust with the HEPA vacuum, not a broom.
   • Circuits re-energized while someone is still workingHigh
     • Each worker removes only their own lock after confirming everyone is clear and covers are back on.