Job safety analysis review

What is a JSA?

A job safety analysis (JSA) is a step-by-step procedure that walks through the hazards of a specific job task.

It takes into consideration each hazard associated with the task and what steps employees can take to avoid that hazard, such as using personal protective equipment (PPE) or procedures that can be used to lower the risk associated with that specific job task.

A JSA may also be referred to as a job hazard analysis (JHA) depending on region or industry, but they accomplish the same thing.

Benefits of JSAs

• They’re a regular reminder of the steps and hazards associated with a specific job.
• They open an opportunity to engage in safety and should increase safety culture.
• They’re a great way to identify new hazards or hazards not previously identified.
• They provide a visual teaching aid to new employees that includes step- by- step instructions.
• They create a baseline to use while auditing and provide proof that employees understand the correct way to do a job.

5 steps to create a JSA

1. Select the job you would like to analyze.
2. Break the selected job down into steps and keep the steps as simple as possible.
3. Identify the hazards associated with each step.
4. Determine what the preventive measures are for each step and how to implement those measures.
5. Inform your employees. This is an important step. Review the JSA with your employees, and make sure they understand the JSA. Certify the employees in the JSA so you have a record for both you and the employees.

What jobs should have a JSA?

As a best practice, you’ll want to seek out the jobs with a high severity or a high frequency of incidents so you can pick the jobs that will have the most immediate and significant impact. Consider your incident rates, incident severity, and near-miss rates.

Another good starting point is to look at any job that has the potential for a severe injury. Look at OSHA’s top 10 incidents for some ideas if you need inspiration.

Also consider new jobs or tasks that could have unexpected hazards associated with them. This is a great way to become familiar with the jobs and start identifying new risks and hazards. The JSA will allow you to put preventive measures in place to prevent an incident from occurring.

Pay attention to any jobs that have recently changed (locations, conditions, etc.). The JSA will help you communicate any new hazards and preventive measures to the employees who were familiar with the old task.

Don’t forget to create JSAs for jobs that are performed infrequently. These types of jobs tend to carry higher levels of risk because employees aren’t very familiar with their hazards.

EHS Hero’s JHA tool can help you manage these from start to finish.