What Is an AHA in Construction?
A practical guide to Activity Hazard Analyses for safety professionals, SSHOs, superintendents, project managers, contractors, and competent persons.
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What Is an AHA in Construction?
An Activity Hazard Analysis (AHA) breaks a work activity into steps, identifies the hazards associated with each step, and establishes controls before the work is performed. It is a planning tool that helps the crew think through the work before anyone is exposed to the hazards.
Why AHAs Matter
An AHA should be a field planning and communication tool — not paperwork completed merely for a signature. A good AHA reflects how the work will actually be done, is understood by the people doing it, and is used on site to keep controls in place.
When an AHA is written only to satisfy a submittal, hazards get missed and controls exist on paper but not in the field.
The Three Questions Every AHA Should Answer
- 1What can hurt us?
- 2What controls are we putting in place?
- 3Who is responsible for ensuring those controls are followed?
What Should an AHA Include?
Activity and job steps
The work broken into a logical sequence of steps.
Hazards
What could cause injury, illness, or damage at each step.
Controls
The measures that will manage each hazard, considering the hierarchy of controls before relying on PPE.
Responsible personnel
Who ensures the controls are in place and followed, including competent or qualified persons where applicable.
Required PPE
Task-specific personal protective equipment.
Equipment considerations
Tools and equipment used, and their inspection requirements.
Training and competency
Training, qualifications, or competent-person requirements for the work.
Worker acknowledgment and review
Review with affected workers and acknowledgment, as required by the project or employer.
Need a starting point? Use our free AHA template.
AHA vs. JHA
Activity Hazard Analysis (AHA) and Job Hazard Analysis (JHA) are both structured ways to identify hazards and establish controls. The terms are often used in similar ways, but they are not always legally or contractually interchangeable — format, scope, and requirements can differ by employer, owner, agency, and contract.
Project specifications and contract requirements determine which documentation is required. Learn more about Job Hazard Analysis software and Activity Hazard Analysis software.
Using AHAs in the Field
Review the AHA with affected workers before starting the activity, so everyone understands the hazards, the controls, and who is responsible.
Revisit the AHA when conditions, equipment, personnel, methods, or hazards materially change. An AHA that no longer matches the work no longer protects the crew.
Manage AHAs Digitally with Cintra Safety Pro
Cintra Safety Pro helps construction teams create, organize, manage, and maintain AHAs alongside inspections, toolbox talks, training records, and other safety documentation. See our construction safety software and OSHA compliance software.
This guide is educational information, not legal advice. Using any software does not by itself make an AHA compliant with a regulation, standard, or contract.