Job Hazard Analysis: Staining and sealing

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. Set up the work area: walk the site, read the SDS for the cleaner, stain, and sealer, cover plants and surfaces, and stage materials.

   • Not knowing the chemical hazards of the stain, sealer, or deck cleanerMedium
     • Choose water-based stain and sealer when the job allows; they give off fewer vapors and are less flammable.
     • Foreman reviews the SDS with the crew before opening any can: fire risk, PPE, and first aid.
     • Keep every container labeled. If you pour into another bucket, label it.
   • Trips and back strain carrying 5-gal pails, drop cloths, and the pressure washerLow
     • Use a hand truck or dolly for the pressure washer and full pails.
     • Pick a clear path; tape down drop cloth edges and keep hoses to one side.
     • Lift with your legs; get a second person for anything over 50 lb.

2. 2. Clean the wood with deck cleaner or brightener and the pressure washer.

   • Chemical burns to eyes and skin from bleach, sodium percarbonate, or oxalic acid cleanersMedium
     • Mix cleaner exactly as the label says; never mix bleach with acid or ammonia products.
     • Keep a jug of clean water or an eyewash bottle at the work area.
     • Wear chemical splash goggles, nitrile gloves, long sleeves, and rubber boots while mixing and applying.
   • Injection cuts and flying debris from the pressure washer streamHigh
     • Use the widest tip that does the job (25° or 40°); never use the 0° red tip on wood.
     • Never point the wand at a person or your own hand or foot; lock the trigger when you stop.
     • Keep other people at least 15 ft away while spraying.
     • Any pressure washer cut goes to the ER right away, even if it looks small.
   • Electric shock from an electric pressure washer or cords in standing waterMedium
     • Plug into a GFCI outlet or a portable GFCI and test it before use.
     • Inspect cords for cuts; keep plug connections up off the wet deck.
   • Slipping on wet, slimy deck boardsMedium
     • Work from the far end back toward the exit so you do not walk on cleaned, wet wood.
     • Wear slip-resistant boots; do not stand near open deck edges or stairs while spraying.

3. 3. After the wood dries, sand rough spots, set popped nails or screws, and blow or sweep off dust.

   • Wood dust in eyes and lungs from the random orbital sanderMedium
     • Use a sander with a dust bag or hooked to a HEPA shop vac.
     • Stand upwind and keep others out of the dust cloud.
     • Wear safety glasses and an N95 dust mask when sanding.
   • Splinters, nail heads, and cuts on handsLow
     • Walk the deck and set or pull raised nails before sanding.
     • Wear work gloves when handling boards and sanding.
   • Noise from sander and leaf blowerLow
     • Use a broom or shop vac instead of a gas blower when you can.
     • Wear earplugs or earmuffs while running the sander or blower.

4. 4. Open, mix, and pour stain or sealer into pump sprayers, buckets, and roller trays.

   • Fire from flammable oil-based stain or mineral spirits vaporsHigh
     • Mix and pour outdoors, at least 50 ft from smoking, grills, pilot lights, and running generators.
     • Post No Smoking; keep only one day's supply out and lids on cans when not pouring.
     • Keep a charged 2A:10B:C fire extinguisher within 25 ft of the mixing area.
     • Store solvents in approved, closed safety cans.
   • Splashes in eyes and skin contact with stain and solventMedium
     • Use a pour spout or funnel; stir with a paddle, not by shaking an open can.
     • Wear safety glasses and nitrile gloves while mixing and pouring.
   • Spills on the ground, plants, or customer's propertyLow
     • Pour on a drop cloth or inside a spill tray.
     • Keep rags and absorbent at the mixing station.

5. 5. Apply stain and sealer with pump sprayer, roller, and brush, working with the grain; use a stepladder for railings, posts, and siding.

   • Breathing solvent vapors and overspray mistMedium
     • Roll or brush instead of spraying when practical; it makes far less mist.
     • Spray with the wind at your back and on low pressure; stop if wind blows overspray onto cars or houses.
     • In enclosed or under-deck areas, set up fans for fresh air and take breaks outside.
     • If spraying oil-based product or you feel dizzy or get a headache, wear a fit-tested half-face respirator with organic vapor cartridges.
   • Falls from a 6-ft stepladder or off an unguarded deck edgeHigh
     • Use an extension pole on the roller or brush to stay on the ground when possible.
     • Inspect the fiberglass stepladder before use; set it fully open and locked on firm, dry ground, not on wet stain.
     • Do not stand on the top cap or top step; keep three points of contact and move the ladder instead of reaching.
     • Stain toward the exit so you never back toward the open deck edge.
   • Slipping on freshly stained boardsMedium
     • Plan the order so you finish at the stairs or exit and never walk on wet stain.
     • Tape off or block access and post a Wet Stain sign.
   • Heat illness working in direct sun on hot decksMedium
     • Schedule staining for early morning or shaded sides of the house; stain also goes on better on cool wood.
     • Drink water every 15–20 minutes and take shade breaks; new workers build up time in the heat over the first week.
     • Watch each other for dizziness, confusion, or stopping sweating; stop and cool down right away.

6. 6. Clean up: dispose of oily rags, clean tools, close containers, and remove drop cloths and tape.

   • Spontaneous fire from oily rags, pads, and drop cloths soaked with oil-based stainHigh
     • Put used rags in a metal oily-waste can with a self-closing lid, or lay them flat outside to dry, or soak them in water in a sealed metal can.
     • Never leave balled-up rags in a truck, garage, trash bag, or in the sun.
     • Foreman checks rag disposal before the crew leaves the site.
   • Skin and eye contact with mineral spirits when cleaning brushes and sprayersLow
     • Clean water-based tools with water; use solvent only for oil-based products.
     • Release pressure from the pump sprayer before opening it.
     • Wear nitrile gloves and safety glasses while cleaning tools.
   • Improper disposal of leftover stain, solvent, and cleanerLow
     • Never pour stain or solvent on the ground or down a drain; close cans tight and return them to the shop.
     • Pick up tape, drop cloths, and debris so no one trips.