Author: Kulak,Rachel A (BPA) - NSSS-4
Last saved by: Hatfield,Luke W (BPA) - NFW-MODW

AVIATION JOB HAZARD ANALYSIS (JHA)

Project Name: |
BPA Contract #: |
Prime Contractor: |
Aviation Contractor: |
Aviation Contractor contact info Name/Phone: |

Location(s) where the aviation work will be
performed:

Estimated Start Date/s of Flight Operations: |
Estimated Ending Date/s of Flight Operations: |

Brief description of the aviation related Work to
be Performed:
Indicate under which FAA Federal Aviation Regulation part that the operation will be conducted; Part 91,107, 133 and/or 135. Indicate which type of airframes will be utilized and if 133, if or if not the project involves human external
cargo (HEC).

BPA Contracting Officer
Name & Phone:

I certify that this document accurately reflects our project plan, to include subcontractor work under this contract and that it is a living document that will be updated as the plan changes.

JHA Author’s Name, phone number and email
address:

Signature: |
Date: |

Special Instructions:

BPA’s Contractor Safety and Health requirements for Prime and Subcontractors (CSHRPS) is the primary document outlining the requirements for all BPA Contract Aviation Services (CAS). All CAS providers will operate In Accordance With (IAW) the requirements specified in the most current version of the CSHRPS. Specific areas of the CSHRPS have been listed below for additional emphasis:
•	The CAS provider will be current on the DOE CAS list IAW the CSHRPS.
•	An Aviation JHA will be submitted and approved IAW the CSHRPS.
•	Flight Notifications will be filled IAW the CSHRPS.
•	Pilot maximum duty days and flight hours will be IAW the CSHRPS at a minimum.
•	Quarterly Reporting Requirements will be reported each quarter IAW the CSHRPS.

Aviation Job Hazard Analysis
BPA uses the Aviation Job Hazard Analysis as part of our work planning process.
When assessing the hazards associated with this project use the following definitions, listed at the end of this document, to determine the probability, severity and when assigning a Risk Assessment Code (RAC) of LOW, MED or HIGH risk.

AVIATION JOB HAZARD ANALYSIS SUMMARY
Requirements: Assess the aviation related risks associated with this project using the RAC definitions listed in this document. Assess RAC before mitigation and RAC after mitigation to the lowest level possible. The common hazards listed below are not meant to be all inclusive nor are they all applicable. Specific aviation hazards associated with your project need to be addressed if applicable. Please provide a continuation sheet if needed.

Hazard Identification

RAC
Without Mitigation

Risk Mitigation

RAC
With Mitigation

Aircrew Fatigue | | |
Inadequately trained personnel | | |
Lack of recency of Experience | | |
Fuel Starvation | | |
Mechanical Failure/s | | |

Weather Hazards
High Winds IIMC, etc.

Mid-Air collisions | | |

AVIATION JOB HAZARD ANALYSIS SUMMARY
Requirements: Assess the aviation related risks associated with this project using the RAC definitions listed in this document. Assess RAC before mitigation and RAC after mitigation to the lowest level possible. The common hazards listed below are not meant to be all inclusive nor are they all applicable. Specific aviation hazards associated with your project need to be addressed if applicable. Please provide a continuation sheet if needed.

Hazard Identification

RAC
Without Mitigation

Risk Mitigation

RAC
With Mitigation

Unable to locate aircraft after estimated time of arrival | | |
Inadequate aircraft performance or out of Aircraft CG | | |

Landing
/operating at unsuitable landing zones
(Helicopter Only)

Long line contact with structures/wire
(FAR Part 133 only)

Encroachment of minimum approach distances (FAR Part 133 only) | | |
Inadequate communication air to ground personnel (FAR Part 133 only) | | |
Hazards to personnel or property on ground (FAR Part 133 only) | | |

Poor coordination of daily work expectations
(FAR Part 133 only)

AVIATION JOB HAZARD ANALYSIS SUMMARY
Requirements: Assess the aviation related risks associated with this project using the RAC definitions listed in this document. Assess RAC before mitigation and RAC after mitigation to the lowest level possible. The common hazards listed below are not meant to be all inclusive nor are they all applicable. Specific aviation hazards associated with your project need to be addressed if applicable. Please provide a continuation sheet if needed.

Hazard Identification

RAC
Without Mitigation

Risk Mitigation

RAC
With Mitigation

UAS JOB HAZARD ANALYSIS SUMMARY
Requirements: Assess the aviation related risks associated with this project using the RAC definitions listed in this document. Assess RAC before mitigation and RAC after mitigation to the lowest level possible. The common hazards listed below are not meant to be all inclusive nor are they all applicable. Specific aviation hazards associated with your project need to be addressed if applicable. Please provide a continuation sheet if needed.

Hazard Identification

RAC
Without Mitiga-tion

Risk Mitigation

RAC
With Mitiga-tion

1. Electrical & Electromagnetic Hazards

Electromagnetic Interference (EMI) / Radio Frequency Interference (RFI):

High electrical fields (e.g., 115 kV, 230 kV, 500 kV AC/DC corridors) disrupting onboard flight controllers, electronic speed controllers (ESCs), IMUs, and GPS receivers.

Command and Control (C2) link degradation or loss near communication towers, microwave repeaters, and substation relay equipment.

Flashover, Arcing, and Induction:

Violation of Minimum Approach Distances (MAD) causing electrical arc-over between energized conductors/hardware and the aircraft, payload, or tether.

Airborne particulates, ionized air, or moisture on the UAS airframe bridging air-gap insulation thresholds.

Electrostatic charge accumulation on non-conductive parts of the airframe discharging into sensitive electronics or utility infrastructure.

Ground Potential Rise (GPR) and Step/Touch Potentials:

Ground crew and Ground Control Station (GCS) personnel exposure inside or adjacent to substations during a system fault event.

2. Airspace, Navigation, & Collision Hazards

Low-Altitude Manned Aviation Encounters:

Conflict with utility patrol helicopters aircraft conducting low-level aerial inspections, line pulling, or vegetation management.

Encounters with agricultural aircraft (crop dusters), wildland firefighting aircraft, and military low-level training routes (MTRs) common in BPA service areas (PNW).

UAS JOB HAZARD ANALYSIS SUMMARY
Requirements: Assess the aviation related risks associated with this project using the RAC definitions listed in this document. Assess RAC before mitigation and RAC after mitigation to the lowest level possible. The common hazards listed below are not meant to be all inclusive nor are they all applicable. Specific aviation hazards associated with your project need to be addressed if applicable. Please provide a continuation sheet if needed.

Hazard Identification

RAC
Without Mitiga-tion

Risk Mitigation

RAC
With Mitiga-tion

Airframe Collision with Utility Infrastructure:

Unshielded/thin static wires, overhead ground wires (OHGW), optical ground wires (OPGW), guy wires, and distribution cross-under lines (often invisible to obstacle avoidance sensors and visual observers).

Collisions with towers, lattice cross-arms, conductor bundles, insulator strings, or communication site antenna towers/guyed masts.

Substation / Dense Equipment Strikes:

Collisions with gantry structures, busbars, potential transformers (PTs), current transformers (CTs), and circuit breakers causing uncontained ground faults or phase-to-phase faults.

3. Environmental & Terrain Hazards

Complex Topography & Microclimates:
Mountainous passes (Cascades, Rockies, Columbia River Gorge) causing severe localized updrafts, downdrafts, wind shear, and rotor turbulence near ridgeline towers.

Rapid valley fog, low cloud ceilings, or marine layer encroachment causing inadvertent instrument meteorological conditions (IMC) and loss of Visual Line of Sight (VLOS).

Thermal & Environmental Extremes:
Battery performance degradation, reduced capacity, and unexpected voltage drop under freezing temperatures or extreme heat.

Airframe and rotor icing, causing rapid degradation of lift and aerodynamic control.

Wildlife Interactions:
Nesting raptors (eagles, ospreys, hawks) attacking the UAS or territorial bird behavior near lattice structures.

UAS JOB HAZARD ANALYSIS SUMMARY
Requirements: Assess the aviation related risks associated with this project using the RAC definitions listed in this document. Assess RAC before mitigation and RAC after mitigation to the lowest level possible. The common hazards listed below are not meant to be all inclusive nor are they all applicable. Specific aviation hazards associated with your project need to be addressed if applicable. Please provide a continuation sheet if needed.

Hazard Identification

RAC
Without Mitiga-tion

Risk Mitigation

RAC
With Mitiga-tion

4. Ground Crew, Public Safety, & Site Access Hazards

Remote / Rugged Ground Operations:

Slips, trips, falls, and vehicle rollovers along remote access roads and steep Right-of-Way (ROW) access paths.

Encounters with venomous wildlife (rattlesnakes), insects (ticks, hornets on lattice towers), or large predators (bears, cougars).

Lack of cellular/radio coverage impacting emergency medical response and flight following.

Launch and Recovery Zone (LRZ) Compromise and Ground Incursions:

High-speed spinning carbon-fiber propeller blades causing severe lacerations, blunt force trauma, or striking loose ground debris (gravel, dirt, dry brush) and ejecting it toward crew members as high-velocity shrapnel.

"Ground effect," rotor wash, or sudden wind shear displacing the aircraft laterally during the critical manual or automated touchdown phase into unmonitored areas.

GPS multi-pathing or compass drift (common near high-voltage steel lattice structures) causing the UAS to miss the calibrated landing pad during an autonomous RTH execution and land among personnel or equipment.

Public & Property Impact:

UAS crash into public roadways, railways, river traffic, or residential areas crossing underneath the transmission ROW.

Fire ignition hazard from damaged lithium-polymer (LiPo) batteries following a crash into dry rangeland or forested ROW.

Ground Control Station Ergonomics & Distractions:

Crew fatigue, thermal stress (heat exhaustion/hypothermia), glare off screens, and communication breakdown between Pilot in Command (PIC) and Visual Observers (VO).

UAS JOB HAZARD ANALYSIS SUMMARY
Requirements: Assess the aviation related risks associated with this project using the RAC definitions listed in this document. Assess RAC before mitigation and RAC after mitigation to the lowest level possible. The common hazards listed below are not meant to be all inclusive nor are they all applicable. Specific aviation hazards associated with your project need to be addressed if applicable. Please provide a continuation sheet if needed.

Hazard Identification

RAC
Without Mitiga-tion

Risk Mitigation

RAC
With Mitiga-tion

5.Sensor, Data, & System Degradation Hazards

LiDAR & Optical Sensor Safety:

Laser eye hazards (Class 3R/3B LiDAR units) during ground handling or low-altitude close-proximity passes over personnel or livestock.

GNSS / Sensor Multi-Pathing:

GPS signal reflection, blockage, or degradation caused by dense steel lattice towers, sheer canyon walls, or substation switchyards leading to erratic autonomous flight modes or automated Return-to-Home (RTH) errors.

Sensor Thermal Overload:

High-power LiDAR and compute payloads overheating during stationary hovering maneuvers or warm-weather operations.

6. Payload, Contact, & Robotic Operations

Aerodynamic & Control Disturbances During Heavy/Tethered Operations:

Shifts in Center of Gravity (CG) during payload pickup, transit, positioning, or release (e.g., marker ball dropping or robotic tool mounting).

"Pendulum effect" or aerodynamic drag from bulky payloads (spheres, robotics, LiDAR pods) destabilizing the aircraft in wind.

Mechanical Entanglement & Snagging:

Payload release mechanisms, winches, or tether lines tangling with energized conductors, armor rods, dampers, or spacers.

Induced Current in Suspended Tools/Payloads:

Voltage induction across conductive components of the installation tool/robotic payload while near or contacting energized lines.

UAS JOB HAZARD ANALYSIS SUMMARY
Requirements: Assess the aviation related risks associated with this project using the RAC definitions listed in this document. Assess RAC before mitigation and RAC after mitigation to the lowest level possible. The common hazards listed below are not meant to be all inclusive nor are they all applicable. Specific aviation hazards associated with your project need to be addressed if applicable. Please provide a continuation sheet if needed.

Hazard Identification

RAC
Without Mitiga-tion

Risk Mitigation

RAC
With Mitiga-tion

7. Struck-By & Dropped Load Hazards

Inadvertent or Premature Release of External Payloads:
Unintended release of heavy equipment during flight (e.g., marker balls, robotic crawlers, counterweights, or suspended LiDAR/camera gimbals) impacting ground personnel, landowners, or the public below.

Mechanical failure of cargo release latches, winches, rigging, or tether systems.

Dropping conductive or non-conductive tools, clamps, clips, or bolts during line-contact robotics or marker ball placement operations onto personnel stationed directly beneath the structure or Right-of-Way (ROW).

Component Shedding / Airframe Disintegration:

Shedding of broken rotor blades, motor cowlings, fasteners, batteries, or inspection pods following a structural failure, bird strike, or minor contact with a conductor or tower lattice.

AVIATION JHA RISK ASSESSMENT CODE (RAC) DEFINITIONS

Probability of an Event
Qualitative Definition | Definition
Frequent | Likely to occur many times (or has been occurring frequently)
Occasional | Likely to occur a few times (has occurred a few times)
Remote | Unlikely, but possible to occur (rarely occurs)
Unlikely | Very unlikely to occur (no history of previous occurrences)
Very Unlikely | Nearly impossible to occur

Severity of an Event
Definition (In Aviation) | Meaning

Catastrophic

•	Fatal injuries or total disability,
•	Loss of material goods in excess of $1Million.
•	Irreversible severe environmental damage that violates law or regulation.

Critical

•	Permanent partial disability, injuries or occupational illness that may result in hospitalization of personnel.
•	Material loss exceeding $200K but less than $1M.
•	Reversible environmental damage causing a violation of law or regulation.

Significant

•	Injury or occupational illness, resulting in one or more lost work days(s).
•	Material loss exceeding $10K but less than $200K.
•	Mitigatable environmental damage without violation of
law or regulation where restoration activities can be accomplished.

Small

•	Injury or illness not resulting in a lost work day.
•	Material loss exceeding $2K but less than $10K.
•	Minimal environmental damage not violating law or regulation.

Negligible | •	Light consequences.

RISK ASSESSMENT CODE (RAC)
Probability | Severity
| Catastrophic | Critical | Significant | Small | Negligible
Frequent | HIGH | HIGH | HIGH | MEDIUM | MEDIUM
Occasional | HIGH | HIGH | MEDIUM | MEDIUM | MEDIUM
Remote | HIGH | MEDIUM | MEDIUM | MEDIUM | LOW
Unlikely | MEDIUM | MEDIUM | MEDIUM | LOW | LOW
Very Unlikely | LOW | LOW | LOW | LOW | LOW

Proponent for this document is BPA Aircraft Services

Version Date: October 1, 2021