Job Safety Analysis

Job Safety Analysis is one of the safety management tools that can be used to define and control the hazards associated with a a certain process, job or procedure. Job Safety Analysis is a term used interchangeably with Job Hazard Analysis and Risk Assessment. The purpose of a JSA is to ensure that the risk of each step of a task is reduced to ALARP (As Low As Reasonably Practicable).

The analysis starts with a summary of the whole job process. This is broken down into smaller steps and listed in table form. The hazards involved in each single step are identified, then the control measures to eliminate, reduce or mitigate each hazard are identified and described. By this means every aspect of the whole process is analyzed and safe methods of work determined.

Process

When is a JSA Required?

Some type of risk analysis should be performed before every job. Some tasks are routine and the hazards and controls well understood. For routine tasks consider using a Standard Operating Procedure, a set of standing orders that control the known hazards. For tasks that are complex, unusual, difficult, require the interaction of many people or systems or involve new tools or methods, a JSA should be performed.

How is a JSA Created?

The JSA or JHA should be created by the work group performing the task. Sometimes it is expedient to review a JSA that has been prepared when the same task has been performed before but the work group must take special care to review all of the steps thoroughly to ensure that they are controlling all of the hazards for this job this time. The JSA is usually completed on a form. The most common form is a table with three columns (although each company has a variation with many having five or six columns). The headings of the three columns are (1) Job Step (2) Hazard (3) Controls. A Hazard is any factor that can cause damage to personnel, property or the environment (some companies include loss of production or downtime in the definition as well). A Control is any process for controlling a hazard. The work group firstly breaks down the entire job into its component steps. Then, for each step, hazards are identified. Finally, for each hazard identified, controls are recorded in the 3rd column. In the example below, the hazards are analyzed for the task of preparing and painting a handrail:

Step	Hazard	Control
(1) Prepare Surface Using Electric Wire Brush	Hand Arm Vibration Syndrome	Wear thick gloves Use vibrating tool no more than 20 minutes at a time and for no more than 2 hours a shift
	Paint dust possibly containing lead	Wear a P3 organic vapor mask when disturbing old paint. Wear disposable coveralls. Wash hands thoroughly before eating or smoking. Thorough housekeeping.
	Slips trips and falls	Route all electrical cables sensibly to keep walkways and stairs free of hazards.
	Sunburn	Wear broad brim and SPF 40+ sun block.
(2) Paint Handrails	Damage to adjacent surfaces from thinners and paint	Use drop sheets
	Exposure to fumes from thinners	If poorly ventilated, use P3 organic vapor mask
	Paint in eyes	Wear safety goggles when working above shoulder height, safety glasses at other times
	Fire	Keep containers of thinners and flammable solvents closed properly and stored in a cool place away from sources of sparks
(3) Housekeeping	Slip and trip hazards	Remove waste to bin, tools to store, ensure barriers and signs are in place to denote wet paint.

Assessing Risk Levels

Some organizations have additional columns for risk level. The level of risk is assessed both before applying the control and after applying the control. Risk (in the sphere of OH&S) is defined as Probability X Consequence. Qualitative Risk Assessment uses a Risk Matrix to assess the level of Risk. A risk simple risk matrix looks like this:

H	M	H	H
M	L	M	H
L	L	L	M
	L	M	H

Consequence is measured on the Y-axis, and Probability is measured on the X-axis. Therefore using a grinder without eye goggles has a high probability of causing an adverse event, and has high consequences (blindness) so it represents a high risk. Using the grinder whilst wearing eye goggles reduces this hazard to low probability and low consequences.

Assessing the level of Residual Risk using a risk matrix is recorded on a JSA like this:

		P	C	R		P	C	RR
(3) Housekeeping	Slip and trip hazards	M	H	M	Remove waste to bin, tools to store, ensure barriers and signs are in place to denote wet paint.	L	L	L

The initial risk IR (before putting controls in place) is Medium, according to the Risk Matrix. The Residual Risk RR, after controlling the hazard (in this case with good housekeeping)is Low. If the Residual Risk is not Low, the work group must devise more or better controls until the RR is resolved to Low.

Identifying Responsibilities

Another column that is often added to the basic three columns in a JSA form or worksheet is the "Responsible" column. The Responsible column is for the name of the individual who will put the particular control in place. Defining who is responsible for actually putting the controls in place that have been identified on the JSA worksheet ensures that an individual is accountable for doing so.

After the JSA Worksheet is Completed

After the JSA worksheet is completed, the work group that is about to perform the task should have a toolbox talk, and discuss the hazards and controls, delegate responsibilities, ensure that all equipment and PPE described in the JSA are available, that contingencies such as fire fighting are understood, communication channels and hand signals are agreed etcetera. Then, if everybody in the work group feels that it is safe to proceed with task, work should commence.

If at any time during the task circumstances change, then work should be stopped (sometimes called a "time-out for safety"), and the hazards and controls described in the JSA should be reassessed and additional controls used or alternative methods devised. Again, work should only recommence when every member of the work group feels it is safe to do so.

When the task is complete it is often of benefit to have a close-out or "tailgate" meeting, to discuss any lessons learned so that they may be incorporated into the JSA the next time the task is undertaken.

Tips and Tricks

It is vitally important that workers understand that it is not the JSA form that will keep them safe on the job, but rather the process it represents. It is of little value to identify hazards and devise controls if the controls are not put in place.

Workers should never be tempted to "sign on" the bottom of a JSA without first reading and understanding it. JSAs are quasi-legal documents, and are often used in incident investigations, contractual disputes, and court cases.

Everybody in the workforce should be involved in creating the JSA. The more minds, the more years of experience applied to analysing the hazards in a job, the more successful the work group will be in controlling them.

More examples of JSAs can be seen at http://www.mikey.com.au/JSA/search.html

References

*Greenwood, R. (2006). Reader: Job Safety Analysis Occupational Health and Safety Practitioner. Safetyline Institute

*Kjellen, U. (2000) Prevention of Accidents Through Experience Feedback. CRC Press. ISBN 0748409254

*http://www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/hsprograms/job-haz.html "Job Safety Analysis"

*Maersk Contractors (2005)MODU Procedures Manual Edition 1, 3.7 "Conduct of Safe Job Analysis"

*US Dept of Labor (2002) Job Hazard Analysis. OSHA 3071