Field Level Hazard Assessment (FLHA) — Alberta
An FLHA is a documented hazard assessment completed by workers at the worksite before starting a task or when conditions change. It is required under Alberta OHS legislation and is one of the most commonly audited safety documents in Alberta.
A Field Level Hazard Assessment (FLHA) is a written assessment completed by workers at the worksite — not in an office — before starting a task or when site conditions change. It identifies the hazards present for that specific task, on that specific day, at that specific location, and documents the controls workers will use.
Why FLHAs are required in Alberta
Alberta OHS legislation requires employers to ensure that hazard assessments are conducted before work begins and that workers are informed of the hazards and controls. The FLHA is the field-level tool that satisfies this requirement for day-to-day work.
The FLHA is not a substitute for a formal hazard assessment of the overall worksite — it is the task-level assessment that captures what is different today from the baseline.
What a proper FLHA includes
A proper FLHA identifies: the task being performed; the hazards present (physical, chemical, biological, ergonomic, and psychological); the controls in place for each hazard; and the signatures of the workers who participated.
The key word is 'participated' — an FLHA signed by workers who were not actually involved in the assessment is a documentation problem, not a safety tool. Auditors look for this.
Common FLHA problems in Alberta audits
The most common FLHA problems found in COR and OHS audits are: forms signed but not filled out; hazards listed generically rather than specifically; controls listed that are not actually in place; and workers who cannot explain what the FLHA said.
An FLHA that workers fill out in 30 seconds without looking at the site is a liability, not a safety tool. The value is in the conversation — workers stopping to look at the site and talk about what could go wrong.
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