Directories AHA (Activity Hazard Analysis / Job Hazard Analysis)
Updated 2026-06-23
A Directories AHA (Activity Hazard Analysis / Job Hazard Analysis) is the plan for installing building directories — lobby and wall directory units listing tenants and rooms — and within specialties its distinctions are the illuminated (electrical) directories and the glazed fronts. This AHA is about building directory units.
Why directories needs its own AHA
Directories are building directory units — lobby and wall directories listing tenants, rooms, and locations, often changeable-letter boards, and frequently illuminated and glass-fronted — mounted prominently in lobbies and corridors. They carry the specialties-installation hazards (handling, fastening, mounting), but two things distinguish them. First, the illuminated (electrical) directories: many directories are illuminated (backlit or internally lit directory units), so they have an electrical connection — meaning the installation involves electrical coordination (connecting the lit unit to power) and the electrical hazard (electrical connection should be by the electrical trade; don't work on live electrical). Second, the glazed fronts: directories are often glass-fronted (glass or acrylic doors over the changeable-letter surface), so there's glazing handling (glass fronts and doors — glass breakage and sharp edges, like glass work) where the front is glass. Plus the prominent finished-lobby mounting (mounting in a highly-finished lobby — protecting finishes, careful work). So the defining hazards are the electrical connection of illuminated directories and the glazed fronts, on the specialties fundamentals. Directories are often lit, glass-fronted units mounted in finished lobbies.
Breaking directories into steps
The steps install the directory:
- Confirm the directory unit, illumination, and glazing from the submittal
- Handle and stage the directory unit
- Lay out the mounting in the lobby/wall; coordinate any electrical rough-in
- Mount and secure the directory unit
- Coordinate the electrical connection (illuminated units — electrical trade); glaze the front
- Verify and clean up
The hazards step by step
The illuminated (electrical) directories
Many directories are illuminated — backlit or internally lit units — so they have an electrical connection, meaning the installation involves electrical coordination and the electrical hazard. The lit directory must be connected to power (a wiring connection to the building electrical), which should be done by the electrical trade per code — so coordinate the electrical connection with the electrical trade, ensure the circuit is de-energized during connection (lockout), and don't work on live electrical (leave the electrical connection to qualified electrical workers). The directory installer coordinates the mounting and the electrical rough-in/connection with the electrical trade rather than making live electrical connections. The illuminated directory's electrical connection is an electrical hazard requiring coordination and qualified electrical work.
The glazed fronts
Directories are often glass-fronted — glass or acrylic doors and fronts over the changeable-letter or directory surface — so where the front is glass, there's glazing handling: handling the glass front or door (sheet glass — breakage and sharp edges), like glass work. Handle glass fronts as sheet glass (cut-resistant gloves for sharp edges, careful support, breakage awareness), and install the glazing per the unit's method. Acrylic fronts are lighter and less breakable but still handled with care. The glazed front adds the glass-handling hazard where present.
The prominent finished-lobby mounting
Directories mount prominently in lobbies and finished public areas, so the finished-space work is emphasized — mounting in a highly-finished lobby (protecting the finished surfaces, careful clean work in a prominent public space, coordinating around other trades and building users). Work cleanly and carefully in the finished lobby, and protect the finishes. The prominent finished location emphasizes the careful finished-space work.
The specialties fundamentals
The wall fastening and anchoring (drilling — dust, silica into masonry/concrete, concealed utilities; secure anchoring), the unit handling, and the at-height mounting (higher directories — falls) apply from the specialties fundamentals.
A simple Directories AHA structure
| Step | Hazard | Control | Standard |
|---|---|---|---|
| Connect illuminated directory | Electrical | Coordinate with electrical trade; de-energize/lockout; no live work | OSHA 1926.416 |
| Handle/install glass front | Glass breakage / sharp edges | Cut-resistant gloves; handle as sheet glass; careful support | OSHA 1926.95 |
| Mount in finished lobby | Damage finishes | Protect finishes; careful clean work in public space | general duty |
| Fasten to wall | Drilling dust/silica; concealed utilities | Silica control into masonry/concrete; verify utilities | OSHA 1926.1153 |
| Mount at height | Fall from access | Stable access; don't overreach | OSHA 1926.1053 |
Where the electrical and glass distinguish directories
What distinguishes directories from plain display boards is that they're often illuminated and glass-fronted: the electrical connection of lit directories (electrical coordination and hazard — leave the connection to the electrical trade) and the glazed fronts (glass handling where the front is glass). Plus the prominent finished-lobby location. So the directory-specific emphasis is the electrical coordination for illuminated units (coordinate with the electrical trade, don't work live) and the glass handling for glazed fronts (as sheet glass), on the specialties fundamentals. Where plain boards had no electrical, the illuminated directory adds the electrical connection — the notable directory-specific hazard. So beyond the specialties fundamentals and the glass, the directory's distinctive contribution is the electrical connection of lit units. Lit, glass-fronted lobby units — coordinate the electrical and handle the glass.
From the field: what actually goes wrong
The directory issues are the electrical and the glass. The electrical: the illuminated directory's connection made by unqualified workers or on a live circuit (electrical hazard) rather than coordinated with the electrical trade and de-energized. The glass: a glass front or door broken during handling (breakage), or cut hands from sharp glass edges. Plus the finished-lobby care (damaging prominent finishes) and the shared fastening and at-height mounting. The directory lessons: coordinate the electrical connection of illuminated directories with the electrical trade (de-energize, no live work), handle glazed fronts as sheet glass (cut-resistant gloves, careful support), work carefully in the finished lobby, and follow the specialties fundamentals. Lit and glazed — the electrical and glass are the directory-specific concerns. The point crews most often overlook is treating an illuminated directory like a plain board and energizing or connecting it themselves rather than routing that work through the electrical trade — the mounting is the sign installer's scope, but the power connection is qualified electrical work that should be de-energized and coordinated.
The bottom line
A Directories AHA is a lit-glazed-unit plan. Building directories are often illuminated (electrical connection — coordinate with the electrical trade, de-energize, no live work) and glass-fronted (glass handling — cut-resistant gloves, careful support, breakage awareness), mounted prominently in finished lobbies (protect finishes, careful clean work), on the specialties fundamentals (wall fastening, drilling dust, at-height mounting). Respect the electrical connection of illuminated directories and the glazed fronts, and directories are installed safely.
Frequently asked questions
What's distinctive about directories?
Two things: many are illuminated (electrical) and glass-fronted. Building directories — lobby and wall units listing tenants and rooms — are frequently backlit or internally lit (an electrical connection) and glass-fronted (glass or acrylic doors over the directory surface). So installing them involves electrical coordination (for the lit units) and glass handling (for the glazed fronts), plus the prominent finished-lobby mounting. The electrical connection of illuminated directories and the glazed fronts distinguish them from plain display boards.
What's the electrical hazard with illuminated directories?
Many directories are illuminated (backlit or internally lit), so they have an electrical connection to building power — an electrical hazard. The connection should be done by the electrical trade per code, with the circuit de-energized (lockout) during connection, and the directory installer should not work on live electrical. Coordinate the electrical connection with the electrical trade, ensure the circuit is de-energized during any connection work, and leave the electrical connection to qualified electrical workers. The illuminated directory's electrical connection requires coordination and qualified work.
Do directories have a glass hazard?
Where they're glass-fronted, yes. Directories are often glass-fronted (glass or acrylic doors and fronts over the directory surface), so where the front is glass, there's glass handling — handling the glass front or door as sheet glass, with breakage and sharp-edge hazards. Handle glass fronts as sheet glass (cut-resistant gloves for the sharp edges, careful support, breakage awareness), and install the glazing per the unit's method. Acrylic fronts are lighter and less breakable but still handled with care.
How is this different from display boards and cases?
Directories share the specialties mounting fundamentals but are distinguished by often being illuminated (an electrical connection that plain display boards don't have) and mounted prominently in finished lobbies. They may be glass-fronted like display cases, but their distinctive hazard is the electrical connection of lit units. So directories add the electrical coordination to the specialties and glass fundamentals — the illuminated directory's electrical connection is the notable directory-specific concern.
Related AHAs and JHAs
- Specialties AHA — the specialties-division fundamentals
- Signage AHA — the related mounted signage
- Display Cases AHA — the related glazed unit
- Lighting Fixture Installation JHA — the related illuminated-unit electrical work
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.