Aluminum-Framed Entrances and Storefronts AHA (Activity Hazard Analysis / Job Hazard Analysis)
Updated 2026-06-23
An Aluminum-Framed Entrances and Storefronts AHA (Activity Hazard Analysis / Job Hazard Analysis) is the plan for the aluminum framing system of an entrance and storefront — the extruded aluminum mullions, rails, and door frames that are erected and anchored before the glass goes in — and its focus is the framing work itself, distinct from the glazing that follows. This AHA is about erecting and field-fabricating the aluminum grid.
Why aluminum-framed entrances and storefronts needs its own AHA
An aluminum-framed entrance and storefront is built framing-first: the aluminum extrusions — vertical mullions, horizontal rails, and door frames — are cut to length, fitted, erected, squared, and anchored to the structure and sill, and only then is the glass glazed into the framed openings. This AHA covers that framing phase, which has its own hazards separate from the glass. The aluminum members are long extrusions — handled, lifted, and positioned as long awkward pieces — and they're field-fabricated: cut to length, notched, and drilled on site, which generates sharp aluminum swarf and chips and leaves sharp cut edges (aluminum cuts skin readily), and the cutting tools bring their own hazards. The framing is erected and must be held plumb, square, and braced until anchored — an unbraced or partially-anchored aluminum frame can rack or fall. And the anchorage fastens the framing to the structure and embeds it in the sill, often with drilling into concrete or masonry (silica). So the defining hazards are the aluminum framing-member handling and field-fabrication (long members, sharp swarf and edges, cutting tools) and the framing erection and anchorage, all before the glass. This is the metal-framing skeleton the glazing hangs on.
Breaking aluminum-framed entrances and storefronts into steps
The steps are the framing phase:
- Confirm the framing layout, member sizes, and anchorage from the submittal
- Cut and field-fabricate the aluminum members (swarf/edge control)
- Erect and position the long framing members
- Plumb, square, and brace the frame until anchored
- Anchor the framing to the structure and sill (drilling/fastening)
- Verify the frame is square, plumb, and fully anchored for glazing
The hazards step by step
Aluminum framing-member handling and field-fabrication
The aluminum extrusions are long, awkward members handled and erected as full-length pieces, and they're field-fabricated on site — cut to length, notched, and drilled — which is the distinctive hazard of the framing phase. Cutting aluminum generates sharp swarf and chips (that get in eyes and cut skin) and leaves sharp cut edges on the members (aluminum edges lacerate readily), and the saws and drills used bring cutting-tool hazards (blade contact, the member shifting during a cut). Handle the long members with awareness of their length and the sharp edges (cut-rated gloves, controlled carrying so a swung member doesn't strike someone), clamp members for cutting and drilling rather than free-handing, capture or clear the swarf, and wear eye protection for the aluminum chips. The field-fabrication is where the framing phase's cuts and edges concentrate.
Framing erection and bracing
The framing is erected and must be held plumb, square, and braced until it's anchored — and an aluminum frame that's up but not yet anchored, or inadequately braced, can rack out of square or fall. Erect the framing in the sequence that keeps it stable, brace it until the anchorage is complete, and don't rely on a partially-anchored frame to stand or bear handling loads. The framing at grade is lower-risk for falls than curtain wall, but a large storefront frame is still a substantial assembly that must be controlled until fixed.
Anchorage to structure and sill
The framing is anchored to the surrounding structure and embedded/anchored in the sill, often with drilling into concrete or masonry, so the anchorage brings drilling (respirable silica from concrete/masonry — dust-controlled drilling), fastening tool hazards, and the requirement to install the full anchorage so the frame carries the glass and its loads. Dust-controlled drilling for the concrete/masonry, the right fasteners and tools, and the complete anchorage before glazing.
Eye, and the transition to glazing
Cutting and drilling throw aluminum chips and masonry dust (eye protection and dust control), and once the frame is squared and anchored, the glazing phase (with its glass hazards, covered in the glazing AHAs) begins — the framing AHA hands off to the glass work here.
A simple Aluminum-Framed Entrances and Storefronts AHA structure
| Step | Hazard | Control | Standard |
|---|---|---|---|
| Field-fabricate members | Sharp swarf/edges; cutting tool | Clamp for cutting; cut-rated gloves; eye protection; clear swarf | OSHA 1926.304 |
| Handle long members | Struck-by / laceration | Controlled carrying; edge awareness | OSHA 1926.95 |
| Erect and brace frame | Frame rack/fall unbraced | Stable erection sequence; brace until anchored | OSHA 1926.451 |
| Anchor to structure/sill | Respirable silica; weak anchorage | Dust-controlled drilling; full anchorage before glazing | OSHA 1926.1153 |
| Hand off to glazing | (glass hazards follow) | Verify square, plumb, anchored | project |
Where the fabrication and the erection connect
The framing phase's two hazards flow together: the members are field-fabricated (cut, drilled — sharp swarf and edges) and then erected and braced, so the sharp cut edges created in fabrication are on the very members the crew then handles and erects. A member cut on site has a fresh sharp edge exactly where hands grip it to lift it into place. The control that ties them is edge-and-swarf discipline carried from the cut through the erection — deburr or handle cut edges with gloves, clear the swarf, and keep that awareness as the fabricated members go up. The framing is sharp aluminum handled at length, from the saw to the wall.
From the field: what actually goes wrong
The aluminum-framing failures are the cuts and the unbraced frame. The cut hazard is constant and underrated: field-fabricating aluminum members throws sharp swarf and leaves razor edges, and installers handling the freshly- cut extrusions get lacerated on the edges or catch chips in the eyes — it's not dramatic but it's the steady injury of framing work. The erection one: a large storefront frame erected but not yet fully anchored or braced racks out of square or, in the worst case, comes down, because the crew treated an up-but-unanchored frame as stable. Both are framing-phase specifics that the glass-focused view can overlook. Handle the sharp fabricated members with gloves and eye protection, and brace the frame until it's fully anchored.
The bottom line
An Aluminum-Framed Entrances and Storefronts AHA is a framing-phase plan. Before the glass, the aluminum extrusions are field-fabricated (sharp swarf and cut edges, cutting tools) and erected, braced, and anchored, so the controls are clamped cutting with swarf and edge control and eye protection, controlled handling of the long sharp members, stable erection with bracing until anchored, and dust-controlled drilling for the concrete/masonry anchorage. Respect that the framing is sharp aluminum handled at length and must be braced until fixed, and the frame is ready to receive glass safely.
Frequently asked questions
What's the distinctive hazard of the aluminum framing phase?
Field-fabrication. The aluminum extrusions are cut to length, notched, and drilled on site, which generates sharp swarf and chips (into eyes and skin) and leaves razor-sharp cut edges on the members, and the saws and drills bring cutting-tool hazards. Clamp members for cutting and drilling rather than free-handing, capture or clear the swarf, wear cut-rated gloves and eye protection, and handle the freshly-cut members with edge awareness — aluminum cuts skin readily.
Why does the frame need bracing before glazing?
Because an erected aluminum frame that isn't yet fully anchored, or is inadequately braced, can rack out of square or fall — and a large storefront frame is a substantial assembly. Erect it in a sequence that keeps it stable, brace it until the anchorage is complete, and don't rely on a partially-anchored frame to stand or bear handling loads. The frame must be square, plumb, and fully anchored before the glass goes in.
What does the anchorage involve?
Fastening the framing to the surrounding structure and embedding or anchoring it in the sill, often by drilling into concrete or masonry — which brings respirable silica (use dust-controlled drilling), fastening-tool hazards, and the requirement for the full anchorage so the frame carries the glass and its loads. Complete the engineered anchorage before glazing.
How is this different from the entrances and storefronts AHA?
The entrances-and-storefronts AHA emphasizes the grade-level glass handling and the public opening. This one focuses specifically on the aluminum framing system — the phase before the glass, where the members are field-fabricated (sharp swarf and edges), erected, braced, and anchored. If you're erecting the aluminum grid, the framing-and-fabrication focus here is the fit; the glass work follows in the glazing AHAs.
Related AHAs and JHAs
- Aluminum-Framed Storefronts AHA — the aluminum-framed storefront detail
- Entrances and Storefronts AHA — the combined entrance/storefront fundamentals
- Entrances Storefronts and Curtain Walls AHA — the facade-glazing family fundamentals
- Curtain Wall Installation JHA — the framed-facade installation 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.