Glued-Laminated Beams AHA (Activity Hazard Analysis / Job Hazard Analysis)

Updated 2026-06-23

A Glued-Laminated Beams AHA (Activity Hazard Analysis / Job Hazard Analysis) is the plan that keeps the crew erecting glued-laminated beams safe through the heavy long beam rigging and erection, from the fall during erection, and around the beam stability and connection. Glued-laminated beams erects large glulam beams — combining the heavy-long-beam-rigging and erection hazard, the fall-during-erection hazard, and the beam-stability and connection hazard. This guide walks through building a Glued-Laminated Beams AHA that names the heavy-long- beam-rigging/erection, fall-during-erection, and beam-stability/connection hazards and assigns the rigging, fall-protection, and stability controls that hold up in the field.

Why glued-laminated beams needs its own AHA

Glued-laminated beams (glulam beams) is the erection of glulam timber beams — the large engineered-timber beams made of laminated wood layers, used for long-span roof and floor beams and girders in heavy-timber and architecturally-exposed structures. This heads the glulam pair (beams, columns). The defining feature is that glulam beams are large, long, and very heavy structural members erected by crane and set at height — a long-span glulam beam can be enormous and heavy, and the erection resembles a heavy structural steel beam erection: the heavy long-beam rigging and erection (crane, rigging, crush, struck-by), the fall hazard of erecting at height, and the beam stability and connection during erection (the beam must be connected/braced — an unconnected beam can fall or roll). The hazards combine the heavy-long-beam-rigging and erection (glulam beams are large, long, and heavy — the rigging/erection hazard (long heavy beams hoisted by crane and set — rigging, crush, dropped-load, struck-by)), the fall-during-erection (erecting the beams at height — the fall hazard), the beam-stability and connection (the erected beams must be stable and connected — the stability hazard (a large glulam beam must be connected/braced during erection — an unconnected/unbraced beam can fall or roll) and the connection hazard), and the tool/handling. The heavy-long-beam-rigging/erection and the fall-during-erection justify a dedicated AHA.

Breaking glued-laminated beams into steps

The steps for a Glued-Laminated Beams AHA follow the erection:

• Plan the beam erection (rigging, sequence, stability, fall protection)
• Set up fall protection for the erection
• Rig and hoist the heavy glulam beams (crane, crush)
• Land, connect, and secure the beams (stability)
• Verify the beam stability and connections
• Manage the rigging, fall, and stability hazards
• Complete the connections and any bracing
• Complete

Each step carries a hazard, and the heavy-long-beam-rigging/erection, the fall-during-erection, and the beam-stability/connection are where the most significant risks concentrate.

The hazards step by step

Heavy-long-beam-rigging and erection

Glulam beams are large, long, and heavy — the rigging/erection hazard (long heavy beams hoisted by crane and set — rigging, crush, dropped-load, struck-by). The controls are safe rigging and erection of the heavy glulam beams (glulam beams are large, long, and very heavy — a long-span beam can be enormous, erected by hoisting with a crane and setting into position; rated rigging with correct pick points for the long beam (to lift it level and avoid overstressing it), qualified crane/rigging/signaling, controlled setting, keeping hands/body out of crush points, exclusion under the suspended beam, and tag lines to control the long beam), and the rigging/erection controls. The heavy-long-beam-rigging/erection is the primary defining hazard — glulam beams are large, heavy, crane-erected members. (These follow the heavy-member rigging/erection fundamentals.)

Fall-during-erection

Erecting the beams at height — the fall hazard. The controls are fall protection for the beam erection (erecting and connecting the glulam beams at height — fall protection, safe access on the structure), and the fall controls. The fall-during-erection is a defining hazard — glulam beam erection is at height. (These follow the fall- protection fundamentals.)

Beam-stability and connection

The erected beams must be stable and connected — the stability hazard (a large glulam beam must be connected/ braced during erection — an unconnected/unbraced beam can fall or roll) and the connection hazard. The controls are ensuring beam stability during erection (a large glulam beam is not stable until it is adequately connected and/or braced — the beam must be connected at its supports or temporarily braced before releasing it from the crane, and long beams may need lateral bracing to prevent them from rolling/toppling, since an unconnected or laterally-unbraced beam can fall or roll off its supports), safe connection (connecting the beams at the supports), and the stability/connection controls. The beam-stability/connection is a defining hazard — glulam beams must be connected/braced during erection. (These follow the erection-stability fundamentals.)

Tool/handling

The tool and handling (tools for connections, incidental handling) carries the tool/handling hazard. The controls are safe tool use and handling, and the tool controls. (These follow the tool fundamentals.)

A simple Glued-Laminated Beams AHA structure

Beam rigging/erection control and fall-protection/stability safety

A Glued-Laminated Beams AHA centers on beam rigging/erection control and fall-protection/stability safety. The beam rigging/erection control addresses the large heavy long beams — controlled by safe rigging and erection of the heavy glulam beams (rated rigging with correct pick points, qualified crane/rigging, controlled setting, crush awareness, exclusion under the beam, tag lines). The fall-protection/stability safety addresses the at-height erection and the beam stability — controlled by fall protection for the beam erection and ensuring beam stability during erection (connected/braced before releasing from the crane, lateral bracing for long beams). And the tools and handling get tool controls. An AHA built on beam rigging/erection control and fall-protection/stability safety, with tool controls, addresses the hazards that define glued-laminated beams.

From the field: what actually goes wrong

In fourteen years across federal, heavy civil, and industrial projects, glued-laminated beams erects the large glulam timber beams that span long distances in heavy-timber and architecturally-exposed structures, and it heads the glulam pair. Its defining hazards are those of a heavy beam erection. The heavy-long-beam-rigging and erection hazard is the primary defining concern — glulam beams are large, long, and very heavy (a long-span glulam roof or floor beam can be enormous and weigh a great deal), erected by hoisting with a crane and setting into position, so the work brings the rigging, crush, dropped-load, and struck-by hazards of a heavy crane erection, controlled by safe rigging and erection: rigging the long beam with correct pick points so it lifts level and is not overstressed, qualified crane, rigging, and signaling, controlled setting, keeping hands and body out of crush points, exclusion zones under the suspended beam, and tag lines to control the long beam (a long beam swinging on a crane is hard to control without tag lines). The large, heavy, long glulam beam on the crane is the defining hazard.

The fall-during-erection and the beam-stability/connection are the other defining hazards. On the projects I have run, erecting and connecting the beams is at height (setting the beams high on the structure), so fall protection for the beam erection (fall protection and safe access) is a control. And the beam-stability/connection hazard is critical: a large glulam beam is not stable until it is adequately connected at its supports and/or laterally braced, so the beam must be connected or temporarily braced before releasing it from the crane, and long, deep beams may need lateral bracing to prevent them from rolling or toppling off their supports — because an unconnected or laterally-unbraced beam can fall or roll. The tool use for connections rounds it out. The AHA built on beam rigging/erection control and fall-protection/stability safety is the one that protects the beam-erection crew.

The bottom line

A Glued-Laminated Beams AHA names the heavy-long-beam-rigging/erection, the fall-during-erection, and the beam-stability/connection hazards with specific controls — safe rigging and erection of the large, heavy, long glulam beams (rated rigging with correct pick points, qualified crane/rigging, controlled setting, exclusion under the beam, tag lines), fall protection for the at-height erection, and ensuring beam stability during erection (connected/braced before releasing from the crane, lateral bracing for long beams — an unconnected beam can fall or roll). The beam rigging/erection control and the fall-protection/stability safety are the defining concerns. The AHA that manages both is the one that protects the crew.

Frequently asked questions

Why is glulam beam rigging the defining hazard?

Glulam beams are large, long, and very heavy (a long-span roof or floor beam can be enormous), erected by hoisting with a crane and setting into position, so the work brings the rigging, crush, dropped-load, and struck-by hazards of a heavy crane erection. Controls are safe rigging and erection of the heavy glulam beams (rated rigging with correct pick points so the beam lifts level and is not overstressed, qualified crane/rigging/signaling, controlled setting, keeping hands/body out of crush points, exclusion under the suspended beam, tag lines to control the long beam), and the rigging/erection controls.

What fall hazards apply?

Erecting and connecting the beams is at height (setting the beams high on the structure). Controls are fall protection for the beam erection (fall protection, safe access on the structure), and the fall controls.

Why is beam stability during erection critical?

A large glulam beam is not stable until it is adequately connected at its supports and/or laterally braced, so the beam must be connected or temporarily braced before releasing it from the crane, and long, deep beams may need lateral bracing to prevent rolling or toppling off their supports — an unconnected or laterally-unbraced beam can fall or roll. Controls are ensuring beam stability during erection (connected/braced before releasing from the crane, lateral bracing for long beams), safe connection, and the stability/connection controls.

What is glued-laminated beams?

Glued-laminated beams (glulam beams) is the erection of glulam timber beams — the large engineered-timber beams made of laminated wood layers, used for long-span roof and floor beams and girders in heavy-timber and architecturally-exposed structures. Because glulam beams are large, long, and heavy and crane-erected (rigging/crush), the erection is at height (fall), and the beams must be stable/connected during erection, those hazards apply.

Related AHAs and JHAs

• Glued-Laminated Columns AHA — the related glulam columns
• Glued-Laminated Construction AHA — the glulam construction fundamentals
• Laminated Veneer Lumber AHA — the related LVL engineered lumber
• Wood Framing AHA — the wood-framing 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.