Job Hazard Analysis: Electrical panel 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. Plan the job and de-energize: review drawings, locate all power sources, and lock out and tag out the feeding breaker or service disconnect.

   • Electric shock or arc flash from a feeder or service that is still energized or back-fed by a generator or solar system.High
     • Plan the work so all terminations are done de-energized. Do not work hot unless the competent person has a written plan for it.
     • Identify every source: utility service, generators, solar, UPS, and transfer switches. Open and lock each one.
     • Each worker puts a personal lock and a 'Do Not Operate' tag on the disconnect. Only the person who placed a lock removes it.
     • Test before touch: check your CAT III/IV meter on a known live source, test every conductor phase-to-phase and phase-to-ground, then recheck the meter.
     • Wear arc-rated clothing, a face shield, and voltage-rated gloves with leather protectors while testing for absence of voltage.
   • Utility service conductors that cannot be de-energized by the crew (line side of meter or main).High
     • Schedule a utility disconnect or meter pull before tying in. Never pull a meter yourself unless the utility allows it.
     • Treat the line-side lugs as live at all times. Cover them with insulating barriers or rubber blankets.

2. 2. Set up the work area: barricade the area, set lighting, and position the 6-ft or 8-ft fiberglass stepladder.

   • Fall from a stepladder while mounting or wiring the top of the panel.Medium
     • Use a fiberglass ladder only, never aluminum, around electrical work.
     • Inspect the ladder before use. Open it fully and lock the spreaders on firm, level ground.
     • Do not stand on the top step or top cap. Keep three points of contact and carry tools in a pouch.
   • Other trades walking into the work area or turning on equipment.Medium
     • Set caution tape or cones around the panel area and post a 'Danger – Electrical Work' sign.
     • Tell the GC and other trades which circuits are locked out and for how long.
   • Trips over cords, wire reels, and debris in a dim area.Low
     • Set portable LED work lights on a GFCI-protected circuit. Route cords along walls.
     • Keep wire reels and boxes out of walkways.

3. 3. Mount the panel enclosure: lift it into place, drill anchor holes, and fasten it to the wall or backboard.

   • Back strain or crushed fingers lifting a heavy panel or panelboard (50–150 lb).Medium
     • Remove the interior and cover first to lighten the can before lifting.
     • Use two people or a panel lift for panelboards over 50 lb. Lift with your legs.
     • Wear cut-resistant gloves and keep fingers clear of the mounting edge.
   • Drilling into a wall that hides live wiring, gas lines, or water pipes.Medium
     • Scan the wall with a stud finder or wire tracer before drilling. Check drawings for hidden lines.
     • Use a drill with a double-insulated or grounded cord on a GFCI.
   • Silica dust and noise when hammer-drilling into concrete or block.Medium
     • Use a hammer drill with a dust shroud and HEPA vacuum, or a drill with built-in dust extraction.
     • Never dry-sweep or blow the dust with compressed air. Vacuum it with HEPA.
     • Wear safety glasses and earplugs while drilling.

4. 4. Cut knockouts and install conduit, connectors, and fittings into the enclosure.

   • Cuts from sharp metal edges, knockout slugs, and freshly cut EMT.Medium
     • Use a hydraulic or ratchet knockout punch set instead of a hammer and screwdriver.
     • Ream every cut end of conduit and install bushings before pulling wire.
     • Wear cut-resistant gloves when handling cut metal.
   • Eye injury from metal chips when drilling or cutting with a band saw or reciprocating saw.Medium
     • Keep saw guards in place and secure the conduit in a vise or stand before cutting.
     • Wear safety glasses with side shields at all times.

5. 5. Pull feeders and branch-circuit conductors into the panel.

   • Strain or hand injury pulling large feeders (e.g., 4/0 aluminum or 500 kcmil copper).Medium
     • Use a cable puller or tugger for large feeders, and wire-pulling lubricant.
     • Assign one person to feed the reel and one to pull, and use agreed hand signals or radios.
     • Stand clear of the pull rope line in case it snaps.
   • Fish tape contacting live parts in an existing panel or junction box.High
     • Confirm every box along the run is de-energized and locked out before fishing.
     • Use a non-conductive fiberglass or nylon fish tape near any equipment that could be live.

6. 6. Terminate conductors, install breakers, and make grounding and bonding connections. Torque lugs to manufacturer specs.

   • Shock or arc flash from contact with line-side lugs or a circuit that was not locked out.High
     • Re-verify absence of voltage at the panel before touching any conductor, after any break, and at the start of each shift.
     • Keep line-side lugs covered with insulating barriers until final tie-in.
     • Use insulated 1000V-rated screwdrivers, nut drivers, and torque tools.
     • Remove rings, watches, and metal jewelry.
   • Loose or under-torqued connections that overheat or cause a fire later.Medium
     • Use a calibrated torque screwdriver or wrench and follow the torque values on the panel label.
     • Have a second worker check terminations, grounding, and neutral-ground bonding before closing the panel.
   • Cuts to hands from wire strippers, utility knives, and sharp conductor ends.Low
     • Use cable strippers or a hook-blade knife and cut away from your body.
     • Wear cut-resistant gloves when stripping large conductors.

7. 7. Inspect, close up, and energize: install the dead front, remove locks per procedure, and energize the panel.

   • Arc flash when closing the main breaker or disconnect onto a fault.High
     • Before energizing, check for tools and scraps left inside, and do insulation-resistance and continuity tests.
     • Turn off all branch breakers first, then close the main. Turn branches on one at a time.
     • Install the dead front before energizing. Stand to the side of the disconnect and turn your face away when operating it.
     • Wear arc-rated clothing, face shield, and voltage-rated gloves while switching.
   • Someone still working on a circuit when power is restored.High
     • Do a head count and verbal all-clear with every crew member before any lock is removed.
     • Each worker removes only their own lock and tag.

8. 8. Clean up: label circuits, remove scraps, and store tools and materials.

   • Slips, trips, and cuts from wire scraps, knockout slugs, and packaging.Low
     • Pick up scraps and slugs as you work. Put sharp scrap in a metal bucket.
     • Vacuum drill dust with a HEPA vacuum and remove tape and barricades last.
   • Mislabeled circuits leading to future shock for the next worker.Medium
     • Fill out the panel directory accurately and verify each label by switching the breaker and testing the load.