| Step | Potential Hazard | Control |
|---|---|---|
| Assess work site | Traffic exposure, poor sight lines, overhead utilities, soft shoulders, unstable slopes | Conduct site walk through; establish MUTCD compliant work zone; place signage and cones; assign lookout; identify utilities before excavation |
| Inspect equipment | Faulty excavator, damaged buckets, malfunctioning compactors, worn chains or slings | Perform pre operation inspection on all equipment; check hydraulic hoses, attachments, safety devices, backup alarms, and lifting gear |
| Don required PPE | Struck by hazards, debris, noise, cuts, chemicals | Wear hard hat, gloves, safety glasses, high visibility vest, and steel toe boots |
| Divert water flow | Sudden water surge, erosion, unstable excavation | Use sandbags, temporary pipes, or pumps; ensure pump discharge does not cause downstream erosion; monitor water level |
| Remove shoulder material and pavement | Flying debris, equipment striking workers, unstable ground | Use excavator or saw cutting; keep ground crew away from bucket and blade; maintain lookout |
| Excavate old culvert | Cave in hazard, striking utilities, falling material | Slope or bench excavation; keep workers out of trench; maintain safe setback for equipment; probe for buried utilities |
| Remove damaged pipe | Rolling segments, sharp edges, uncontrolled shifting | Lift pipe using proper slings; never stand in line with lifting load; dispose of pipe in designated area |
| Prepare trench for new culvert | Loose soil, collapse, uneven bedding | Compact bottom; shape bedding to culvert size; keep crew out of trench unless properly protected |
| Install new culvert | Pipe rolling, dropping, pinched hands, poor alignment | Use excavator and slings; maintain tag lines; keep hands clear of pinch zones; ensure proper grade and alignment |
| Install connections or headwalls | Concrete hazards, moving formwork, rebar exposure | Wear gloves; maintain safe spacing; use proper lifting techniques for formwork; avoid stepping on rebar |
| Backfill around culvert | Entrapment, pipe shift, equipment strike | Add fill in even lifts; compact each layer; keep crew away from bucket; do not compact directly against pipe without proper material |
| Restore pavement and shoulders | Hot material exposure, equipment hazards, uneven ground | Use proper asphalt and gravel placement methods; watch for rollers and pavers; maintain safe work distances |
| Manage traffic during work | Vehicles entering work zone, crew exposure | Use flaggers; maintain buffer zones; adjust cones as work progresses; utilize pilot vehicle for single lane roads |
| Remove temporary water control | Sudden water flow, erosion | Slowly remove sandbags or temporary pipes; monitor flow; stabilize area with riprap if needed |
| Final inspection | Missed defects, unstable backfill, poor drainage | Check grade, compaction, alignment, and inlet/outlet stability; verify proper water flow |
| Cleanup and restore site | Debris left behind, trip hazards | Remove excess material; rake shoulders; clear roadway; ensure site is safe for reopening |
| Remove traffic control | Worker exposure to traffic | Remove cones and signage in reverse order; maintain lookout; wear high visibility PPE until clear |
Hard hat
Safety glasses or face shield
High visibility vest or jacket (Class 3 recommended)
Steel toe boots
Cut resistant gloves
Hearing protection near equipment
Long pants and long sleeves
Respiratory protection if dusty conditions are present
Always have a complete, well-stocked first aid kit available.
JSA Category: Stormwater, Drainage, and Waterways
* The steps, hazards, and controls displayed above may be incomplete or not suit your department's needs. All job safety analyses should be a completed with frontline worker input to ensure that each potential hazard is identified and mitigated.
Please read about The Essentials Elements of a Solid Job Safety Anaylsis here.
Thank you to our primary sponsor, Roadwurx, which is a simple asset management platform for small public works and road departments.
| Step | Potential Hazard | Control |
|---|---|---|
| Assess work site | Traffic exposure, poor sight lines, overhead utilities, soft shoulders, unstable slopes | Conduct site walk through; establish MUTCD compliant work zone; place signage and cones; assign lookout; identify utilities before excavation |
| Inspect equipment | Faulty excavator, damaged buckets, malfunctioning compactors, worn chains or slings | Perform pre operation inspection on all equipment; check hydraulic hoses, attachments, safety devices, backup alarms, and lifting gear |
| Don required PPE | Struck by hazards, debris, noise, cuts, chemicals | Wear hard hat, gloves, safety glasses, high visibility vest, and steel toe boots |
| Divert water flow | Sudden water surge, erosion, unstable excavation | Use sandbags, temporary pipes, or pumps; ensure pump discharge does not cause downstream erosion; monitor water level |
| Remove shoulder material and pavement | Flying debris, equipment striking workers, unstable ground | Use excavator or saw cutting; keep ground crew away from bucket and blade; maintain lookout |
| Excavate old culvert | Cave in hazard, striking utilities, falling material | Slope or bench excavation; keep workers out of trench; maintain safe setback for equipment; probe for buried utilities |
| Remove damaged pipe | Rolling segments, sharp edges, uncontrolled shifting | Lift pipe using proper slings; never stand in line with lifting load; dispose of pipe in designated area |
| Prepare trench for new culvert | Loose soil, collapse, uneven bedding | Compact bottom; shape bedding to culvert size; keep crew out of trench unless properly protected |
| Install new culvert | Pipe rolling, dropping, pinched hands, poor alignment | Use excavator and slings; maintain tag lines; keep hands clear of pinch zones; ensure proper grade and alignment |
| Install connections or headwalls | Concrete hazards, moving formwork, rebar exposure | Wear gloves; maintain safe spacing; use proper lifting techniques for formwork; avoid stepping on rebar |
| Backfill around culvert | Entrapment, pipe shift, equipment strike | Add fill in even lifts; compact each layer; keep crew away from bucket; do not compact directly against pipe without proper material |
| Restore pavement and shoulders | Hot material exposure, equipment hazards, uneven ground | Use proper asphalt and gravel placement methods; watch for rollers and pavers; maintain safe work distances |
| Manage traffic during work | Vehicles entering work zone, crew exposure | Use flaggers; maintain buffer zones; adjust cones as work progresses; utilize pilot vehicle for single lane roads |
| Remove temporary water control | Sudden water flow, erosion | Slowly remove sandbags or temporary pipes; monitor flow; stabilize area with riprap if needed |
| Final inspection | Missed defects, unstable backfill, poor drainage | Check grade, compaction, alignment, and inlet/outlet stability; verify proper water flow |
| Cleanup and restore site | Debris left behind, trip hazards | Remove excess material; rake shoulders; clear roadway; ensure site is safe for reopening |
| Remove traffic control | Worker exposure to traffic | Remove cones and signage in reverse order; maintain lookout; wear high visibility PPE until clear |
Hard hat
Safety glasses or face shield
High visibility vest or jacket (Class 3 recommended)
Steel toe boots
Cut resistant gloves
Hearing protection near equipment
Long pants and long sleeves
Respiratory protection if dusty conditions are present