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Job Safety Analysis (JSA) or Job Hazard Analysis (JHA)?

Job Hazard Analysis (JHA) and Job Safety Analysis (JSA) are crucial tools for identifying and controlling hazards in the workplace. They play a vital role in ensuring worker safety and health, and in maintaining a safe working environment.

Understanding JHA and JSA

Job Hazard Analysis (JHA) is a method for identifying and evaluating hazards associated with specific job tasks or activities. The goal of a JHA is to eliminate or mitigate these hazards before work is conducted. It involves breaking down a job into tasks, identifying potential hazards and consequences for each task, and determining preventive measures to overcome these hazards​​.

Job Safety Analysis (JSA) is a procedure that integrates safety and health principles into a job operation. It identifies potential hazards and recommends the safest ways to do the job. The process involves breaking the job into basic steps, identifying potential hazards at each step, and determining preventive measures​​.

Job Hazard Analysis and Job Safety Analysis have been around for quite sometimes in the industries therefore you may find them used interchangeably.

Key Steps in Conducting a JHA/JSA

  1. Select the Job/Activity
    Choose the job or activity to be analyzed. Prioritize based on factors like history of injuries, risk level, frequency of performance, or recent changes in procedure​​.
  2. Break Down the Job into Steps
    Analyze the job step by step, ensuring that each step is neither too general nor too detailed. It’s important to keep these steps in the correct sequence​​.
  3. Identify Potential Hazards
    At each step, identify actual and potential hazards. This could include risks like exposure to harmful substances, risk of injury from machinery, environmental hazards, etc​​​​.
  4. Determine Preventive Measures
    Develop control measures for each identified hazard. These measures can include engineering controls, administrative controls, and personal protective equipment (PPE)​​.
  5. Document the Process
    It’s crucial to document the analysis process, including the identification of hazards and recommended control measures. This documentation is vital for training, reference, and future analyses​​.

Importance of Worker Involvement

Worker participation is essential in JHA and JSA processes. Since employees are most familiar with the tasks, their input is invaluable in identifying hazards and proposing practical solutions. Ensuring their buy-in is critical for the effectiveness of the analysis​​.

JHA vs. JSA: Are They Different?

There is some debate over whether JHA and JSA are distinct. Some professionals view them as essentially the same, while others see them as different components of a two-step process, with JHA being less frequent and JSA taking a daily approach to hazard identification nowadays.

However, the terminology used may vary depending on organizational preferences, and there is no universally accepted distinction between the two​​.

The key priority is the practical application of either of these tools to effectively manage and control all risks associated with workplace hazards.

Compliance and Regulations

While OSHA 1994 does not explicitly require the completion of a JHA for every job, it does require risk assessments for determining necessary controls for the hazards arising from the work activities.

Note that JHAs are a form of the simplest risk assessment and are recommended for an organization with lack of resources​​ to develop a more advanced risk assessment such as HIRARC, (Ishikawa) Fishbone Diagram, 5 Whys, Fault Tree Analysis, Failure Mode Effect Analysis (FMEA), and more.

What Does a Job Hazard Analysis (JHA) Look Like

In its simplest form, as shown below, a JHA consists of the following elements for each task or step that has been broken down. Using the same format, continue with the rest of the tasks for that particular work activity.

Table 1: Example of a Job Hazard Analysis, adapted from the OSHA, US. Source: Job Hazard Analysis.
Job Location: Metal Shop Analyst: Jang Technician Date:
Task Description Worker reaches into metal box to the right of the machine, grasps a 15-pound casting and carries it to grinding wheel. Worker grinds 20 to 30 castings per hour.
Hazard Description Picking up a casting, the employee could drop it onto his foot. The casting’s weight and height could seriously injure the worker’s foot or toes.
Hazard Controls
  1. Remove castings from the box and place them on a table next to the grinder.
  2. Wear steel-toe shoes with arch protection.
  3. Change protective gloves that allow a better grip.
  4. Use a device to pick up castings.

What Does a Job Safety Analysis (JSA) Look Like

Let’s dive into the Job Safety Analysis format. All the steps are right there on one page for you to see. Try rearrange the JHA columns to rows, it’s going to look a lot like a JSA.

And that brings us back to what we mentioned earlier – they’re basically the same thing in practice. But, you know, some people might still debate that they are technically different things.

Job Hazard Safety Table
Table 2: Example of a Job Safety Analysis, adapted from the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety (CCOHS). Source: CCOHS Job Safety Analysis.
Sequence of Events Potential Incidents or Hazards Preventive Measures
1. Park vehicle a) Vehicle too close to passing traffic
b) Vehicle on uneven, soft ground
c) Vehicle may roll 		a) Drive to an area clear of traffic. Turn on emergency flashers.
b) Choose a firm, level parking area.
c) Apply the parking brake; leave the transmission in PARK; place blocks in front and back of the wheel diagonally opposite to the flat.
2. Remove the spare tire and tool kit a) Strain from lifting the spare tire a) Turn the spare into an upright position in the wheel well. Using your legs and standing as close as possible, lift the spare out of the trunk and roll it to the flat tire.
3. Pry off the hub cap and loosen lug bolts (nuts) a) Hub cap may pop off and hit you
b) Lug wrench may slip 		a) Pry off the hub cap using steady pressure.
b) Use a proper lug wrench; apply steady pressure slowly.
And so on….. a) … a) …

Conclusion

JHA and JSA are integral to workplace safety, helping identify and control potential hazards before they lead to accidents or illnesses. Their effectiveness relies on a systematic approach, worker involvement, and comprehensive documentation.

Whether an organization chooses to implement a JHA, a JSA, or both, the primary goal remains the same to create a safer work environment by proactively addressing potential risks.

Read

Job Hazard Analysis, OSHA 3071 2022 (Revised). Retrieved from https://www.osha.gov/sites/default/files/publications/osha3071.pdf

SafetyCulture. (n.d.). A Comprehensive Guide on Job Hazard Analysis. Retrieved from https://public-library.safetyculture.io

North Carolina State University Environmental Health and Safety. (n.d.). Job Hazard Analysis (JHA). Retrieved from https://ehs.ncsu.edu

Safesite. (n.d.). Everything You Need to Run a Job Hazard Analysis (JHA). Retrieved from https://safesitehq.com

Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety. (n.d.). Job Safety Analysis. Retrieved from https://www.ccohs.ca

Harvard University Environmental Health & Safety. (n.d.). Job Safety Analysis (JSA). Retrieved from https://www.ehs.harvard.edu

University of Washington Environmental Health & Safety. (n.d.). Job Hazard Analysis. Retrieved from https://ehs.washington.edu