Brick Masonry AHA (Activity Hazard Analysis / Job Hazard Analysis)
Updated 2026-06-23
A Brick Masonry AHA (Activity Hazard Analysis / Job Hazard Analysis) is the plan that keeps the crew building brick masonry safe from the brick cutting silica dust, from the masonry-wall stability and collapse, and through the mortar contact and repetitive ergonomics. Brick masonry lays brick units in mortar to build walls — combining the brick-cutting-silica-dust hazard, the masonry-wall-stability and collapse hazard, and the mortar- contact and repetitive-ergonomics hazard. This guide walks through building a Brick Masonry AHA that names the brick-cutting-silica-dust, masonry-wall-stability/collapse, and mortar-contact/repetitive-ergonomics hazards and assigns the silica, stability, and ergonomic controls that hold up in the field.
Why brick masonry needs its own AHA
Brick masonry is the construction of walls and structures by laying brick units in mortar — bricklaying, the classic masonry trade, building brick walls, veneers, partitions, and structures course by course. This continues the unit-masonry cluster, focusing on brick. The defining feature is the bricklaying: cutting brick generates silica (brick is fired clay, high in silica), the masonry-wall stability applies, and bricklaying is intensely repetitive, physically demanding work (the ergonomic hazard is pronounced in bricklaying — constantly lifting brick and mortar and repeating the laying motion). The hazards combine the brick-cutting-silica-dust (cutting the brick — the silica hazard (brick is fired clay, high in silica — cutting brick generates respirable silica)), the masonry-wall-stability and collapse (building up the brick wall — the wall-stability/collapse hazard (an unbraced fresh masonry wall can collapse, especially under wind)), the mortar-contact and repetitive-ergonomics (the caustic mortar (cement burns) and the intensely repetitive bricklaying ergonomics (repetitive lifting, bending, and the laying motion — a pronounced ergonomic/strain hazard)), and the scaffold-access/falling-material. The brick-cutting-silica-dust and the masonry-wall-stability/collapse justify a dedicated AHA.
Breaking brick masonry into steps
The steps for a Brick Masonry AHA follow the bricklaying:
- Set up scaffold access and material staging
- Mix and spread the mortar (caustic contact)
- Lay the brick in courses (repetitive ergonomics)
- Brace the wall as it is built (wall stability)
- Cut brick as required (silica control)
- Manage the silica, stability, and ergonomic hazards
- Point, clean, and cure the brickwork
- Complete
Each step carries a hazard, and the brick-cutting-silica-dust, the masonry-wall-stability/collapse, and the mortar-contact/repetitive-ergonomics are where the most significant risks concentrate.
The hazards step by step
Brick-cutting-silica-dust
Cutting the brick — the silica hazard (brick is fired clay, high in silica — cutting brick generates respirable silica). The controls are silica control for cutting brick (brick is fired clay and high in silica, so cutting it (masonry saw, splitter) generates respirable silica — wet cutting, dust extraction, respiratory protection, per the silica standard's masonry-saw provisions), and the silica controls. The brick-cutting-silica-dust is a defining hazard — cutting high-silica brick generates respirable silica. (These follow the silica fundamentals.)
Masonry-wall-stability and collapse
Building up the brick wall — the wall-stability/collapse hazard (an unbraced fresh masonry wall can collapse, especially under wind). The controls are bracing masonry walls during construction (unbraced fresh masonry walls collapse, especially under wind — bracing per the requirements, exclusion zones behind a wall being built), and the wall-stability controls. The masonry-wall-stability/collapse is a defining hazard — unbraced fresh masonry walls collapse. (These follow the masonry-wall-bracing fundamentals.)
Mortar-contact and repetitive-ergonomics
The caustic mortar (cement burns) and the intensely repetitive bricklaying ergonomics (repetitive lifting, bending, and the laying motion — a pronounced ergonomic/strain hazard). The controls are preventing skin contact with the caustic mortar (gloves, skin protection — cement burns), managing the bricklaying ergonomics (bricklaying is intensely repetitive — constantly lifting brick and mortar, bending to the mortar board and brick, and repeating the laying motion thousands of times a day, a pronounced ergonomic/musculoskeletal strain — proper work height/scaffold adjustment to reduce bending, material staging within reach, pacing, and rotation), and the contact/ergonomic controls. The mortar-contact/repetitive-ergonomics is a defining hazard — mortar is caustic and bricklaying is intensely repetitive. (These follow the cement-contact and ergonomic fundamentals.)
Scaffold-access/falling-material
The scaffold access and falling material (building from scaffolds, falling brick/tools) carries the access/ falling-object hazard. The controls are safe scaffold access (fall protection), falling-object protection (toe boards, controlled access below), and the access/falling controls. (These follow the scaffold and falling-object fundamentals.)
A simple Brick Masonry AHA structure
| Step | Hazard | Control | Standard |
|---|---|---|---|
| Access | Fall | Set up scaffold access and material staging | OSHA 1926.451 |
| Mortar | Caustic | Mix and spread the mortar (caustic contact) | project |
| Lay brick | Ergonomic | Lay the brick in courses (repetitive ergonomics) | project |
| Brace | Wall collapse | Brace the wall as it is built (wall stability) | OSHA 1926.706 |
| Cut brick | Silica | Cut brick as required (silica control) | OSHA 1926.1153 |
| Point/clean | Contact | Point, clean, and cure the brickwork | project |
Brick-cutting silica control and wall-stability/ergonomic safety
A Brick Masonry AHA centers on brick-cutting silica control and wall-stability/ergonomic safety. The brick-cutting silica control addresses the high-silica brick — controlled by silica control for cutting brick (wet cutting, dust extraction, respiratory protection, per the silica standard's masonry-saw provisions). The wall-stability/ ergonomic safety addresses the wall and the repetitive work — controlled by bracing masonry walls during construction (unbraced fresh walls collapse under wind) and managing the intensely repetitive bricklaying ergonomics, plus preventing caustic mortar contact. And the scaffold access and falling material get access and falling-object controls. An AHA built on brick-cutting silica control and wall-stability/ergonomic safety, with access controls, addresses the hazards that define brick masonry.
From the field: what actually goes wrong
In fourteen years across federal, heavy civil, and industrial projects, brick masonry lays brick units in mortar, and it is the classic bricklaying trade within the unit-masonry cluster. Its hazards are the shared masonry hazards, with the repetitive ergonomics especially pronounced in bricklaying. The brick-cutting-silica-dust hazard is a primary defining concern — brick is fired clay and high in silica, so cutting brick to fit (with a masonry saw or brick splitter) generates respirable crystalline silica, the same silica hazard as cutting clay units, so silica control (wet cutting, dust extraction, respiratory protection, per the silica standard's masonry-saw provisions) is a control. And the masonry-wall-stability/collapse hazard is the same defining masonry-construction hazard — a freshly laid, unbraced brick wall can collapse, especially under wind, so bracing masonry walls during construction (per the requirements, with exclusion zones) is critical.
The mortar-contact/repetitive-ergonomics is the other defining hazard, and the ergonomics are worth emphasizing for bricklaying specifically. On the projects I have run, bricklaying is intensely repetitive, physically demanding work: a bricklayer constantly lifts brick and mortar, bends to reach the mortar board and the brick supply, and repeats the buttering-and-laying motion thousands of times a day, which makes the ergonomic and musculoskeletal strain hazard pronounced (bricklayers have high rates of back, shoulder, wrist, and knee musculoskeletal disorders from the repetitive work), so managing the bricklaying ergonomics (adjusting the work height and scaffold so the bricklayer is not constantly bending — keeping the work at a good height as the wall rises, staging the brick and mortar within easy reach to reduce reaching and twisting, pacing the work, and rotating tasks) is an important control, along with preventing skin contact with the caustic mortar (cement burns — gloves and skin protection). The intense repetition of bricklaying makes ergonomics a defining, not incidental, concern. The scaffold access and falling material round it out. The AHA built on brick-cutting silica control and wall-stability/ergonomic safety is the one that protects the bricklaying crew.
The bottom line
A Brick Masonry AHA names the brick-cutting-silica-dust, the masonry-wall-stability/collapse, and the mortar- contact/repetitive-ergonomics hazards with specific controls — silica control for cutting the high-silica brick, bracing masonry walls during construction (an unbraced fresh wall collapses under wind), and managing the intensely repetitive bricklaying ergonomics with caustic-mortar contact protection. The brick-cutting silica control and the wall-stability/ergonomic safety are the defining concerns. The AHA that manages both is the one that protects the crew.
Frequently asked questions
Why is cutting brick a silica hazard?
Brick is fired clay and high in silica, so cutting brick to fit (with a masonry saw or brick splitter) generates respirable crystalline silica. Controls are silica control for cutting brick (wet cutting, dust extraction, respiratory protection, per the silica standard's masonry-saw provisions), and the silica controls.
Why are ergonomics especially pronounced in bricklaying?
Bricklaying is intensely repetitive, physically demanding work — a bricklayer constantly lifts brick and mortar, bends to reach the mortar board and brick supply, and repeats the buttering-and-laying motion thousands of times a day, giving bricklayers high rates of back, shoulder, wrist, and knee musculoskeletal disorders. Controls are managing the bricklaying ergonomics (adjusting work height/scaffold to reduce bending, staging materials within reach, pacing, rotating tasks), preventing skin contact with the caustic mortar, and the contact/ergonomic controls.
Why is masonry-wall stability a defining hazard?
A freshly laid, unbraced brick wall can collapse, especially under wind — the same defining masonry-construction hazard as all unit masonry. Controls are bracing masonry walls during construction (per the requirements limiting unbraced masonry wall height, exclusion zones behind a wall being built), and the wall-stability controls.
What is brick masonry?
Brick masonry is the construction of walls and structures by laying brick units in mortar — bricklaying, building brick walls, veneers, partitions, and structures course by course. Because cutting brick generates silica, unbraced fresh masonry walls can collapse, and bricklaying is caustic-mortar work with intense repetitive ergonomics, those hazards apply.
Related AHAs and JHAs
- Clay Unit Masonry AHA — the broader clay-unit masonry
- Brick Veneer Masonry AHA — the brick-veneer detail
- Unit Masonry AHA — the general unit-masonry fundamentals
- Masonry and Block Wall Construction JHA — the masonry-construction 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.