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X New JHA
JOB HAZARD ANALYSIS (JHA) Date:
Revised JHA
Organization/Park Unit: Division: Wildland Fire Branch: N/A Location: United States
National Interagency
Template
JOB TITLE: Working in the Vicinity of Hazard Trees JHA Number: Page ___1___of ___6__
Job Performed By: Wildland Analysis By: Interagency Task Supervisor: Concurred By: Federal Fire and Aviation
Fire Personnel Group Safety Team (FFAST)
Interagency Standards for Fire and Fire Aviation Operations; Fireline Handbook; Incident Response Pocket Guide; Class A,B,C Faller Task
Book. [Applicable agency specific standards must also be referenced. Examples include the Wildland Fire and Aviation Program
Required Standards: Management and Operations Guide for the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the Health and Safety Code Handbook for the USDA-Forest Service
and the Chainsaw Operator Training and Certification Policy for the Bureau of Land Management, Oregon State Office.]
The intent of this JHA is to serve as a template for field units to prepare local hazard tree JHAs that would be included with activity based
JHAs for chain saw/cross cut saw operations, fire suppression, prescribed fire operations and other wildland fire related work activities.
JHAs are most effective when they are project specific and are prepared at the local level by personnel who will be implementing the project.
As a result, this example JHA should be modified as necessary to meet the specific work conditions and requirements of the local unit.
This JHA only identifies the hazards and safe actions associated with working in the vicinity of potential hazard trees and specific hazard
General Notes: trees that have been identified. It does not analyze the other hazards associated with the work activity.
Wear agency approved hard hats whenever working in forested environments. Utilize all wildland fire PPE when performing wildland and
prescribed operations, or as otherwise required. These include boots, fire shelter, hard hat, goggles/safety glasses, yellow aramid shirts,
aramid trousers and leather gloves. Personnel who are exposed to noise levels in excess of 85 decibels, such as chain saw operators, are
required to utilize ear plugs/hearing protection. In addition, all chain saw operators must wear chain saw chaps.
Required Personal Additional PPE may be required by local conditions, material safety data sheets and/or JHAs. See the Interagency Standards for Fire and
Protective Equipment: Fire Aviation Operations for additional information.
Wildland fire hand tools (shovel, pulaski, etc.), chain saws/cross cut saws, saw service/repair kits, fuel and bar oil containers, axes and
wedges, flagging, handheld radios, spare batteries for radios, first aid kits.
Tools and Equipment:
For the sake of brevity, throughout the remainder of this JHA the term “chain saw” is used to refer to “chain saws and/or cross cut saws”
unless otherwise specified.
Activity/Sequence of Job Steps Potential Hazards/ Injury sources Safe Action or Procedure
Where applicable and available, contact local agency foresters, unit
resource management specialists, USDA-Forest Service, Forest Health
Protection Offices, etc. to:
1. Identify high risk tree species in your particular area. These are
generally trees that are more susceptible to heart rot, root rot or have
Pre-work/Preseason Activities None
shallow roots.
2. Where information is available, identify geographic areas where
high concentrations of potential hazard trees are likely to exist.
3. Where information is available, obtain updates on current forest
health trends and problems areas in your vicinity.
Refresher Training None 1. During annual wildland fire and chain saw operator refresher
training, provide updates, as available on current forest health trends
and problem areas in the local area.
JHA - CONTINUATION SHEET JHA Number: Page ___2__of ___6__
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 Potential Hazard Tree Indicators
NOTE: Trees with the indicators below are not all highly hazardous but should be carefully examined to assess the danger.

Indicators – Entire Tree  Cavities and cankers Root & Tree Base Indicators
 Snags – standing dead tree or part of dead tree  Mistletoe branches  Sprung roots – mounded soil or exposed roots
 Moderate to severe lean (especially recent) Bole, Stem, Butt Indicators  Compaction & erosion
Crown Indicators  Dead/broken tops  Damage from previous fire(s)
 Loss of needles & leaves  Forked/multiple tops  Wind-throw
 Discoloration/dieback  Bole swelling  Basil resin flow
 Thinning crown  Cracks or splits  Rot or conks
 Stressed cone crop  Cavities and cankers  Cracks or splits
Limb Indicators  Rot or conks Other Indicators
 Dead/cracked/broken branches  Wounds/damage – mechanical or fire  Smoke or fire is visible in tree
 Fallen limbs on ground  Loose bark  Area experiencing insect and/or
 Rot or conks disease infestations

Assessment Techniques – Potential Hazard Trees

NOTE: Potential hazard trees should be carefully inspected from top to bottom, including soil next to base of the tree. The assessment must include all sides (360°) of tree. Binoculars
can aid in evaluating indicators higher in the tree. Much of hazard tree assessment is subjective and dependent on the skill level and experience of the inspector.

 Look for indicators of hazard and assess the degree of severity. Consider severity versus probability.
 Try to determine if decay or rot is associated with the hazard indicators, which makes failure more likely.
 Thump, bore, and dig as needed to assess conditions not immediately visible.
 Striking bole with a solid object (such as flat end of axe) will aid in hearing the hollow sound of a tree with advanced decay. Boring a tree will also reveal how sound the wood is.
 Digging around the roots may reveal if they are green & sound or are they dead, rotten, burned off or otherwise damaged.
 Evaluate wind (especially wind speed and variability in wind direction)
 What other safety hazards exist (uncontrolled fire, steep slopes, obscured visibility, aviation operations, power lines, etc.)?

Risk Mitigation Measures – Identified Hazard Trees

 Utilize LCES (Lookouts, Communications, Escape Routes & Safety Zones) whenever working in the vicinity of hazard trees.
 Eliminate identified hazard trees (consider all techniques such as saw, burn, blast, cable, heavy equipment).
 Use traffic control when felling trees in the vicinity of roads, trails, firelines, etc.
 Ensure that felling operations do not endanger nearby workers. Avoid working down slope of felling activities.
 If unable to eliminate an identified hazard tree, it should be flagged and avoided.
 Identified hazard trees that can’t be eliminated must be communicated to all other employees working in the area.
 Reassess situation as conditions change.

JHA Analysis Interagency Task Group Federal Fire and Aviation Safety Team
Paul Chamberlin – U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Rod Bloms – U.S Fish & Wildlife Service
Al King – National Park Service John Gould – Bureau of Indian Affairs
John Pronos – U.S. Forest Service Ed Hollenshead – U.S. Forest Service
Britt Rosso – National Park Service Al King – National Park Service
Louis Rowe – National Park Service Michelle Ryerson – Bureau of Land Management