Fire and Smoke Protection AHA (Activity Hazard Analysis / Job Hazard Analysis)

Updated 2026-06-23

A Fire and Smoke Protection AHA (Activity Hazard Analysis / Job Hazard Analysis) is the plan that keeps the crew installing fire and smoke protection safe from the at-height and overhead work, from the fireproofing and firestop material exposure, and around the confined and penetration work. Fire and smoke protection installs passive fire and smoke protection — combining the at-height and overhead-work hazard, the fireproofing and firestop-material- exposure hazard, and the confined and penetration-work hazard. This guide walks through building a Fire and Smoke Protection AHA that names the at-height/overhead-work, fireproofing/firestop-material-exposure, and confined/ penetration-work hazards and assigns the fall/overhead, material, and confined-work controls that hold up in the field.

Why fire and smoke protection needs its own AHA

Fire and smoke protection is the installation of passive fire and smoke protection — the passive fire/smoke protection systems (applied fireproofing on structural steel, firestopping at penetrations and joints, fire/smoke- rated assemblies, and smoke seals) that resist the spread of fire and smoke through the building. This heads the fire-and-smoke-protection group. The defining feature is that fire/smoke protection is installed on the structure and through the building's fire-rated assemblies — so the work is at height and overhead (fireproofing structural steel overhead, firestopping penetrations high in walls/floors), involves fireproofing and firestop materials (with their material-exposure hazards — dust, fibers, and chemicals), and reaches into confined/tight spaces and penetrations. The hazards combine the at-height and overhead-work (working at height/overhead on the structure — the fall and overhead hazards), the fireproofing and firestop-material-exposure (the fireproofing and firestop materials — the dust/fiber/chemical hazards), the confined and penetration-work (working in tight spaces and at penetrations — the confined-space and access hazards), and the eye. The at-height/overhead-work and the fireproofing/firestop-material-exposure justify a dedicated AHA.

Breaking fire and smoke protection into steps

The steps for a Fire and Smoke Protection AHA follow the work:

• Identify the fire/smoke protection scope and materials
• Set up at-height/overhead access and fall protection
• Set up material-exposure controls (dust/fiber/chemical)
• Apply fireproofing / install firestopping and smoke seals
• Work at penetrations, joints, and confined areas
• Manage the fall, material, and confined-work hazards
• Inspect the fire/smoke protection
• Complete

Each step carries a hazard, and the at-height/overhead-work, the fireproofing/firestop-material-exposure, and the confined/penetration-work are where the most significant risks concentrate.

The hazards step by step

At-height and overhead-work

Working at height/overhead on the structure — the fall and overhead hazards. The controls are at-height and overhead controls (fire/smoke protection is installed on the structure at height (fireproofing structural steel, firestopping high penetrations) and overhead (spraying/applying fireproofing to overhead steel, and overhead firestopping) — so fall protection and safe access (scaffolds, lifts) for the at-height work, and overhead-work controls (overhead application means material falls back down — overhead eye/face protection, and the ergonomic strain of overhead work)), and the fall/overhead controls. The at-height/overhead-work is the primary defining hazard — fire/smoke protection is at-height and overhead structural work. (These follow the fall-protection and overhead-work fundamentals.)

Fireproofing and firestop-material-exposure

The fireproofing and firestop materials — the dust/fiber/chemical hazards. The controls are fireproofing and firestop material-exposure controls (fireproofing materials (spray-applied fire-resistive materials — cementitious or fiber, which generate dust and fibers) and firestop materials (sealants, sprays, mortars, wraps — chemical and dust exposures) have material-exposure hazards, so respiratory protection appropriate to the material (dust/fiber masks or respirators), skin/eye protection, ventilation, and following the product safety data), and the material- exposure controls. The fireproofing/firestop-material-exposure is a defining hazard — the fireproofing and firestop materials carry dust/fiber/chemical exposures. (These follow the material-exposure fundamentals.)

Confined and penetration-work

Working in tight spaces and at penetrations — the confined-space and access hazards. The controls are confined and penetration-work controls (firestopping and fire/smoke seals are installed at penetrations and joints throughout the building, often in tight/confined spaces (shafts, chases, above ceilings, mechanical rooms) — confined-space procedures where the space qualifies, ventilation in enclosed areas (especially where spraying/chemicals are used), and safe access to the tight work locations), and the confined/penetration controls. The confined/ penetration-work is a defining hazard. (These follow the confined-space fundamentals.)

Eye

The eye (fireproofing/firestop material, overhead debris) carries the eye hazard. The controls are eye protection (fireproofing/firestop material and overhead application debris — full eye/face protection for overhead work), and the eye controls. (These follow the eye-protection fundamentals.)

A simple Fire and Smoke Protection AHA structure

At-height/overhead control and fireproofing/firestop material-exposure control

A Fire and Smoke Protection AHA centers on at-height/overhead control and fireproofing/firestop material-exposure control. The at-height/overhead control addresses the structural work — controlled by at-height and overhead controls (fall protection, safe access, overhead protection). The fireproofing/firestop material-exposure control addresses the materials — controlled by fireproofing and firestop material-exposure controls (respiratory protection, skin/eye protection, ventilation). And the confined/penetration work and eye get confined and eye controls. An AHA built on at-height/overhead control and fireproofing/firestop material-exposure control, with confined controls, addresses the hazards that define fire and smoke protection.

From the field: what actually goes wrong

In fourteen years across federal, heavy civil, and industrial projects, fire and smoke protection installs the passive fire/smoke protection systems — applied fireproofing on structural steel, firestopping at penetrations and joints, fire/smoke-rated assemblies, and smoke seals — that resist the spread of fire and smoke, and it heads the fire-and-smoke-protection group with a hazard profile centered on where and how the work is done. The at-height and overhead-work hazard is a primary defining concern — fire/smoke protection is installed on the structure at height (fireproofing structural steel, firestopping high penetrations) and overhead (spraying or applying fireproofing to overhead steel, and overhead firestopping), so fall protection and safe access (scaffolds, lifts) for the at-height work and overhead-work controls (overhead application means material falls back down onto the worker — overhead eye/face protection — plus the ergonomic strain of overhead work) are central. The at-height and overhead structural work is the defining hazard.

The fireproofing/firestop-material-exposure and the confined/penetration-work are the other defining hazards. On the projects I have run, fireproofing materials (spray-applied fire-resistive materials — cementitious or fiber- based, which generate dust and fibers) and firestop materials (sealants, sprays, mortars, wraps — chemical and dust exposures) have material-exposure hazards, so respiratory protection appropriate to the material, skin/eye protection, ventilation, and following the product safety data matter. And the confined/penetration-work hazard is that firestopping and fire/smoke seals are installed at penetrations and joints throughout the building, often in tight or confined spaces (shafts, chases, above ceilings, mechanical rooms), so confined-space procedures where the space qualifies, ventilation in enclosed areas (especially where spraying and chemicals are used), and safe access to the tight work locations matter. The eye hazard rounds it out. The AHA built on at-height/overhead control and fireproofing/firestop material-exposure control is the one that protects the fire/smoke-protection crew.

The bottom line

A Fire and Smoke Protection AHA names the at-height/overhead-work, the fireproofing/firestop-material-exposure, and the confined/penetration-work hazards with specific controls — at-height and overhead controls (fall protection, safe access, overhead protection), fireproofing and firestop material-exposure controls (respiratory protection, skin/eye protection, ventilation, following the product safety data), and confined and penetration-work controls (confined-space procedures, ventilation, safe access). The at-height/overhead control and the fireproofing/firestop material-exposure control are the defining concerns. The AHA that manages both is the one that protects the crew.

Frequently asked questions

Why is the at-height/overhead work a defining hazard?

Fire/smoke protection is installed on the structure at height (fireproofing structural steel, firestopping high penetrations) and overhead (spraying/applying fireproofing to overhead steel, overhead firestopping). Controls are at-height and overhead controls (fall protection and safe access — scaffolds, lifts; overhead-work controls — overhead eye/face protection since material falls back down, ergonomic management), and the fall/overhead controls.

What material-exposure hazards apply?

Fireproofing materials (spray-applied fire-resistive materials — cementitious or fiber-based, generating dust and fibers) and firestop materials (sealants, sprays, mortars, wraps — chemical and dust exposures) have material-exposure hazards. Controls are fireproofing and firestop material-exposure controls (respiratory protection appropriate to the material, skin/eye protection, ventilation, following the product safety data), and the material-exposure controls.

What confined and penetration-work hazards apply?

Firestopping and fire/smoke seals are installed at penetrations and joints throughout the building, often in tight/confined spaces (shafts, chases, above ceilings, mechanical rooms). Controls are confined and penetration-work controls (confined-space procedures where the space qualifies, ventilation in enclosed areas especially where spraying/chemicals are used, safe access to the tight work locations), and the confined/penetration controls.

What is fire and smoke protection?

Fire and smoke protection is the installation of passive fire and smoke protection — the passive fire/smoke protection systems (applied fireproofing on structural steel, firestopping at penetrations and joints, fire/smoke-rated assemblies, and smoke seals) that resist the spread of fire and smoke through the building. Because the work is at height and overhead on the structure (fall/overhead), the fireproofing and firestop materials carry dust/fiber/chemical exposures, and the work reaches into confined spaces and penetrations, those hazards apply.

Related AHAs and JHAs

• Applied Fireproofing AHA — the applied fireproofing detail
• Cementitious Fireproofing AHA — the cementitious fireproofing
• Cement Aggregate Fireproofing AHA — the cement-aggregate fireproofing
• Fire Rated Wall Penetration Sealing JHA — the firestop-penetration fundamentals

Written by Mustafa Tok, CSP, ASP, CHST — OSHA Authorized Outreach Trainer with 14+ years of international construction safety experience across federal, heavy civil, and industrial projects.