Job Hazard Analysis · Masonry

Job Hazard Analysis: Stone veneer installation

Install adhered stone veneer (natural or manufactured) on exterior or interior walls. Work includes scaffold or ladder setup, weather barrier and metal lath, mixing mortar, scratch coat, cutting stone with a wet saw or grinder, setting stone, grouting joints, and cleanup. Outdoor work may involve heat, cold, wind, or rain.

Published 2026-10-23

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. Set up the work area, scaffold, and ladders
- Scaffold collapse or tip-over from bad footing, missing braces, or overloading with stone and mortarHigh
  - Competent person inspects the scaffold before each shift and after any change or storm.
  - Set frames on base plates and mudsills on firm, level ground. No blocks or bricks under legs.
  - Install all cross braces, pins, and ties to the building as the manufacturer requires.
  - Stage only the stone and mortar needed for the next hour. Keep loads within the planks' rated capacity.
- Falls from scaffold platforms 10 ft or higherHigh
  - Fully plank the platform with no gaps over 1 in. Install guardrails, midrails, and toeboards on open sides.
  - Use the built-in ladder or stair tower to get on and off. Do not climb the cross braces.
  - If guardrails cannot be installed, wear a full-body harness tied off to a rated anchor.
- Falls from a 6-ft or extension ladder while doing low workMedium
  - Inspect the ladder before use. Tag and remove any with cracked rails or loose rungs.
  - Open stepladders fully and lock the spreaders. Set extension ladders at a 4-to-1 angle, 3 ft past the landing.
  - Keep 3 points of contact. Do not carry stone or buckets up the ladder; hand them up or use a rope.
2. Install weather barrier and metal lath
- Cuts from sharp lath edgesMedium
  - Cut lath with snips, not by bending it back and forth. Keep cut edges pointed away from your body.
  - Wear cut-resistant gloves and long sleeves when handling lath.
- Fastener injuries from pneumatic staplers or screw gunsMedium
  - Use a stapler with a sequential (single-shot) trigger. Keep hands at least 6 in from the nose.
  - Disconnect air before clearing jams. Secure hose connections with clips.
  - Wear safety glasses with side shields.
3. Mix mortar and apply the scratch coat
- Cement burns to skin and eyes from wet mortar and dry mixHigh
  - Read the SDS for the mortar and grout before starting.
  - Wear alkali-resistant nitrile gloves, long sleeves, and goggles when mixing and troweling.
  - Keep clean water and an eyewash bottle at the mixing station. Wash skin right away if mortar gets on it.
  - Change out of clothes soaked with mortar. Do not kneel in wet mortar.
- Dust from dumping bags of dry mortar mixMedium
  - Set up the mixer outside and downwind of the crew.
  - Add water to the mixer first, then pour bags low and slowly.
  - Wear an N95 respirator when dumping bags if dust is visible.
- Caught in the mortar mixer or kickback from a paddle mixer drillMedium
  - Keep the mixer grate in place. Never reach into a running mixer.
  - Turn off and unplug the mixer before cleaning.
  - Use a two-handle mixing drill and brace the bucket with your feet.
  - Plug cords into GFCI protection. Keep cords out of water.
- Back strain from lifting 80-lb mortar bags and full bucketsMedium
  - Use a hand truck to move bags. Fill buckets only half full.
  - Lift with your legs, keep the load close, and get help for heavy loads.
4. Cut and shape stone
- Silica dust from cutting or grinding stoneHigh
  - Plan the layout to use natural edges and trim with a hammer or nippers instead of a saw when you can.
  - Make power cuts on a wet tile/masonry saw with water flowing to the blade. Never cut stone dry.
  - If you use an angle grinder, use one with water feed or a shroud and dust vacuum.
  - Cut outdoors, away from others. Do not dry sweep or use compressed air on dust.
  - Wear a respirator if the written silica plan requires it for the tool and cutting time.
- Cuts and amputation from saw blades and grinder discsHigh
  - Keep blade guards in place. Use the right diamond blade for stone, rated for the tool speed.
  - Use the saw's sliding tray or a push block. Keep fingers clear of the blade path.
  - Unplug the tool before changing blades. Plug into GFCI.
- Flying chips from hammer trimming and cuttingMedium
  - Wear safety glasses plus a face shield when grinding.
  - Keep other workers at least 10 ft away from the cutting station.
- Noise from the wet saw and grinderMedium
  - Wear earplugs or earmuffs while cutting or near the saw.
5. Set stone on the wall
- Falls while reaching or leaning from the scaffoldHigh
  - Keep the platform within 14 in of the wall, or install inside guardrails.
  - Move the scaffold or ladder instead of overreaching. Never stand on buckets or the guardrail.
- Stone or tools falling on workers belowHigh
  - Install toeboards or debris netting on the scaffold.
  - Barricade and mark the area below. No one works under the scaffold while setting stone.
  - Wear a hard hat on site at all times.
- Hand and wrist strain and pinched fingers from setting heavy stonesLow
  - Rotate tasks between setting, cutting, and mixing during the shift.
  - Hold large stones from the sides, not the bottom, when pressing into mortar.
- Heat or cold stress working outdoorsMedium
  - In heat, drink water every 15 minutes, take shade breaks, and break in new workers slowly.
  - In cold, wear layers and dry gloves, and take warm-up breaks.
  - Get off the scaffold when you hear thunder or winds are strong.
6. Grout and tool the joints
- Cement burns from grout squeezed from grout bagsMedium
  - Wear nitrile gloves and safety glasses when bagging grout overhead.
  - Wash off splashes right away with clean water.
- Slips on dropped mortar on planks and groundLow
  - Scrape up dropped mortar from planks as you go.
  - Wear boots with slip-resistant soles.
7. Clean up and take down
- Silica dust when cleaning saw slurry and debrisMedium
  - Clean up with a HEPA vacuum or wet methods. No dry sweeping.
  - Let saw slurry settle in a bucket. Do not dump it in storm drains.
- Falls and dropped parts during scaffold teardownHigh
  - Take down the scaffold from the top down under the competent person's direction.
  - Keep the area below barricaded until all parts are on the ground. Lower parts by hand or rope; do not throw them.
- Trips over stone scraps, cords, and hosesLow
  - Pick up scrap stone and broken pieces into a bin daily.
  - Coil cords and hoses and store tools at the end of the shift.

Steps, hazards and controls
Step	Hazard	Risk	Controls
1. Set up the work area, scaffold, and ladders	Scaffold collapse or tip-over from bad footing, missing braces, or overloading with stone and mortar	High	Competent person inspects the scaffold before each shift and after any change or storm. Set frames on base plates and mudsills on firm, level ground. No blocks or bricks under legs. Install all cross braces, pins, and ties to the building as the manufacturer requires. Stage only the stone and mortar needed for the next hour. Keep loads within the planks' rated capacity.
	Falls from scaffold platforms 10 ft or higher	High	Fully plank the platform with no gaps over 1 in. Install guardrails, midrails, and toeboards on open sides. Use the built-in ladder or stair tower to get on and off. Do not climb the cross braces. If guardrails cannot be installed, wear a full-body harness tied off to a rated anchor.
	Falls from a 6-ft or extension ladder while doing low work	Medium	Inspect the ladder before use. Tag and remove any with cracked rails or loose rungs. Open stepladders fully and lock the spreaders. Set extension ladders at a 4-to-1 angle, 3 ft past the landing. Keep 3 points of contact. Do not carry stone or buckets up the ladder; hand them up or use a rope.
2. Install weather barrier and metal lath	Cuts from sharp lath edges	Medium	Cut lath with snips, not by bending it back and forth. Keep cut edges pointed away from your body. Wear cut-resistant gloves and long sleeves when handling lath.
2. Install weather barrier and metal lath	Fastener injuries from pneumatic staplers or screw guns	Medium	Use a stapler with a sequential (single-shot) trigger. Keep hands at least 6 in from the nose. Disconnect air before clearing jams. Secure hose connections with clips. Wear safety glasses with side shields.
3. Mix mortar and apply the scratch coat	Cement burns to skin and eyes from wet mortar and dry mix	High	Read the SDS for the mortar and grout before starting. Wear alkali-resistant nitrile gloves, long sleeves, and goggles when mixing and troweling. Keep clean water and an eyewash bottle at the mixing station. Wash skin right away if mortar gets on it. Change out of clothes soaked with mortar. Do not kneel in wet mortar.
	Dust from dumping bags of dry mortar mix	Medium	Set up the mixer outside and downwind of the crew. Add water to the mixer first, then pour bags low and slowly. Wear an N95 respirator when dumping bags if dust is visible.
	Caught in the mortar mixer or kickback from a paddle mixer drill	Medium	Keep the mixer grate in place. Never reach into a running mixer. Turn off and unplug the mixer before cleaning. Use a two-handle mixing drill and brace the bucket with your feet. Plug cords into GFCI protection. Keep cords out of water.
	Back strain from lifting 80-lb mortar bags and full buckets	Medium	Use a hand truck to move bags. Fill buckets only half full. Lift with your legs, keep the load close, and get help for heavy loads.
4. Cut and shape stone	Silica dust from cutting or grinding stone	High	Plan the layout to use natural edges and trim with a hammer or nippers instead of a saw when you can. Make power cuts on a wet tile/masonry saw with water flowing to the blade. Never cut stone dry. If you use an angle grinder, use one with water feed or a shroud and dust vacuum. Cut outdoors, away from others. Do not dry sweep or use compressed air on dust. Wear a respirator if the written silica plan requires it for the tool and cutting time.
	Cuts and amputation from saw blades and grinder discs	High	Keep blade guards in place. Use the right diamond blade for stone, rated for the tool speed. Use the saw's sliding tray or a push block. Keep fingers clear of the blade path. Unplug the tool before changing blades. Plug into GFCI.
	Flying chips from hammer trimming and cutting	Medium	Wear safety glasses plus a face shield when grinding. Keep other workers at least 10 ft away from the cutting station.
	Noise from the wet saw and grinder	Medium	Wear earplugs or earmuffs while cutting or near the saw.
5. Set stone on the wall	Falls while reaching or leaning from the scaffold	High	Keep the platform within 14 in of the wall, or install inside guardrails. Move the scaffold or ladder instead of overreaching. Never stand on buckets or the guardrail.
	Stone or tools falling on workers below	High	Install toeboards or debris netting on the scaffold. Barricade and mark the area below. No one works under the scaffold while setting stone. Wear a hard hat on site at all times.
	Hand and wrist strain and pinched fingers from setting heavy stones	Low	Rotate tasks between setting, cutting, and mixing during the shift. Hold large stones from the sides, not the bottom, when pressing into mortar.
	Heat or cold stress working outdoors	Medium	In heat, drink water every 15 minutes, take shade breaks, and break in new workers slowly. In cold, wear layers and dry gloves, and take warm-up breaks. Get off the scaffold when you hear thunder or winds are strong.
6. Grout and tool the joints	Cement burns from grout squeezed from grout bags	Medium	Wear nitrile gloves and safety glasses when bagging grout overhead. Wash off splashes right away with clean water.
6. Grout and tool the joints	Slips on dropped mortar on planks and ground	Low	Scrape up dropped mortar from planks as you go. Wear boots with slip-resistant soles.
7. Clean up and take down	Silica dust when cleaning saw slurry and debris	Medium	Clean up with a HEPA vacuum or wet methods. No dry sweeping. Let saw slurry settle in a bucket. Do not dump it in storm drains.
	Falls and dropped parts during scaffold teardown	High	Take down the scaffold from the top down under the competent person's direction. Keep the area below barricaded until all parts are on the ground. Lower parts by hand or rope; do not throw them.
	Trips over stone scraps, cords, and hoses	Low	Pick up scrap stone and broken pieces into a bin daily. Coil cords and hoses and store tools at the end of the shift.

Required PPE

Hard hat — At all times on site, especially below scaffold work.
Safety glasses with side shields — ANSI Z87.1, at all times. Add goggles when mixing and a face shield when grinding.
Alkali-resistant nitrile gloves — When mixing, troweling, setting stone, and grouting.
Cut-resistant work gloves — When handling metal lath and rough stone.
Hearing protection — Earplugs or earmuffs when running or near the wet saw or grinder.
Respirator — N95 when dumping dry mix; half-face with P100 filters when the silica plan requires it. Fit test and medical clearance required.
Work boots — Safety-toe with slip-resistant soles; rubber boots when standing in wet mortar.
Long sleeves and long pants — To keep cement off skin. Change if soaked with mortar.
Full-body harness and lanyard — Only when guardrails cannot be installed on the scaffold.

Training

Scaffold user training on fall hazards, safe access, and load limits; competent person for scaffold erection and inspection.
Ladder safety training.
Silica training: the written exposure control plan, wet cutting, and when respirators are required.
Hazard communication training on cement, mortar, and grout SDS.
Hands-on training for the wet saw, angle grinder, and pneumatic stapler.
Respirator fit test and medical evaluation for anyone who wears a respirator.
Fall protection training for anyone who uses a harness.

Emergency

If someone falls from the scaffold: stop all work, do not move the person unless there is immediate danger, call 911 and give the site address, and give first aid until help arrives. For cement in the eyes, flush with clean water for at least 15 minutes and get medical care.

Official sources

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General information, not legal advice. Templates and examples should be reviewed by a competent person before use. HardHat Binder is not affiliated with or endorsed by OSHA.