Construction

Safety
Hazard Identification and
Risk Assessment (HIRA)
Trigger Boards

Compiled by
Rudi Nieuwoudt

What are HIRA Trigger Boards?

It is a constant battle to ensure that Daily Safety Task Instructions (DSTIs or TIs) are
completed properly and contain all the relevant hazards and mitigations associated with a
specific task. Too often you will find that these task instructions are substandard and not
addressing all the risks and hazards of the task at hand.
In 2012 we started an initiative to try and improve the quality of daily safety task instructions
on our project. We came up with the HIRA Trigger Boards which were placed at strategic
areas for maximum exposure to the workforce.
The function of these boards were to make use of trigger words/phrases to activate the
thought process with the employees conducting these task instructions. The idea was to
better engage the employees in the HIRA process and thus improving the quality of DSTIs.
To get them thinking for themselves instead of just telling them what to write down.
The HIRA trigger board worked well for my project and there was a clear improvement in the
quality of the DSTIs.
The application of the boards are limitless and can be adapted to any activity you deem
requires more attention. I have added some of the boards that I used with success. I hope
that it will work for your project as well.

HIRA TRIGGER BOARD

IDENTIFY ALL THE HAZARDS

NOTE THESE HAZARDS IN YOUR

DSTI AND MITIGATE THEM

MAKE SURE YOUR

EMPLOYEES UDERSTAND

Communication?
Redundant
Material/Unused
material in the
work area?

PPE?

Manual
Handling

Fatigue?

Housekeeping?

REVISIT YOUR DSTI AFTER

LUNCH
Lifting
Weight per
person?

Walkways?
IF CONDITIONS CHANGE
YOU MUST CAPTURE IT ON
YOUR DSTI
Stacking
and
Storage?

Tripping
hazards?

HIRA TRIGGER BOARD

Inspections/
Soap Tests?

IDENTIFY ALL THE HAZARDS

NOTE THESE HAZARDS IN YOUR

DSTI AND MITIGATE THEM

MAKE SURE YOUR

EMPLOYEES UDERSTAND

Fire Prevention/
Emergency
Equipment?

Training/
Competencies?

Gas
Cutting

Cutting at
Height/Area
below?/Barricading?

Hose
Care/Hose
Management?

REVISIT YOUR DSTI AFTER

LUNCH

IF CONDITIONS CHANGE
YOU MUST CAPTURE IT ON
YOUR DSTI

Storage and
Transport of
Gas bottles?

Interfacing?

Body
Positioning/Line of
fire?

Cocooning/Spark
Containment

HIRA TRIGGER BOARD

IDENTIFY ALL THE HAZARDS

Inspections?
Training/
Competencies?

Housekeeping?
NOTE THESE HAZARDS IN YOUR
DSTI AND MITIGATE THEM

MAKE SURE YOUR

EMPLOYEES UDERSTAND

Warning Signs/
Communication
with affected
people?

Welding

PPE?

Sparks/Cocooning/
Welding Screens
Cable
REVISIT YOUR DSTI AFTER
LUNCH
Management?

IF CONDITIONS CHANGE
YOU MUST CAPTURE IT ON
YOUR DSTI

Welding
Rod
Storage?

Access to
work
area?
Welding at
Heights/Area
Below?

Assistants PPE
Requirements?

IDENTIFY ALL THE HAZARDS

HIRA TRIGGER BOARD

Inspections?
Body
Positioning/
Line of Fire?

NOTE THESE HAZARDS IN YOUR

DSTI AND MITIGATE THEM

MAKE SURE YOUR

EMPLOYEES UDERSTAND

REVISIT YOUR DSTI AFTER

LUNCH

IF CONDITIONS CHANGE
YOU MUST CAPTURE IT ON
YOUR DSTI

Bad
Weather?

Training/
Competencies?

Grinders

PPE?

Correct size
Grinder for the
job?

Sparks/
Cocooning?

Cable management/
Tripping Hazards?

Correct
Disc for
the Job?
Disc Storage?/
Disc Exchange?

HIRA TRIGGER BOARD

IDENTIFY ALL THE HAZARDS

NOTE THESE HAZARDS IN YOUR

DSTI AND MITIGATE THEM

MAKE SURE YOUR

EMPLOYEES UDERSTAND

Inspections?
Training/
Competencies?

PPE?/Safety
Harness?

Communication
with other people
in the area?

Working
at Heights

Working
Platforms?

REVISIT YOUR DSTI AFTER

LUNCH

IF CONDITIONS CHANGE
YOU MUST CAPTURE IT ON
YOUR DSTI

Falling Objects/
Hand Tools?

Access to
work area?

Area
Below/Barricading/
Signage?

Bad
Weather?

HIRA TRIGGER BOARD

IDENTIFY ALL THE HAZARDS

Inspections?/Green
Tag?
Competencies/
Training?

NOTE THESE HAZARDS IN YOUR

DSTI AND MITIGATE THEM

MAKE SURE YOUR

EMPLOYEES UDERSTAND

REVISIT YOUR DSTI AFTER

LUNCH

IF CONDITIONS CHANGE
YOU MUST CAPTURE IT ON
YOUR DSTI

PPE?/Safety
Harness/PPE
Inspections?

Scaffolding
Housekeeping/
Stacking
Material?

Fatigue?

Material Handling/
Communication

100% Tie
Off?

Falling
Objects/Area
Below?

Bad
Weather?

Warning
Signs?

Snow Netting/
Barricading?

HIRA TRIGGER BOARD

Inspections?/
Checklists?

IDENTIFY ALL THE HAZARDS

Competencies/
Training?
NOTE THESE HAZARDS IN YOUR
DSTI AND MITIGATE THEM
Housekeeping/
Stacking
Material?

PPE?

Rigging

Communication
with Affected
People

MAKE SURE YOUR

EMPLOYEES UDERSTAND

Rigger signals/
Line of site with
Crane operator?

Lifting Tackle
REVISIT YOUR DSTI AFTER
Care and
Inspections
LUNCH

IF CONDITIONS CHANGE
YOU MUST CHANGE IT ON
YOUR DSTI

Falling
Objects/Area
Below?/ Guide
Ropes?

Bad
Weather?

Warning
Signs?/Whistles?

Snow Netting/
Barricading?