Risky Business: Let's Prepare a Job Safety Analysis
Risky Business: Let's Prepare a Job Safety Analysis
A job safety analysis (JSA) is synonymous with many companies' standard operating procedures and apply primarily to hazardous operations or potentially hazardous operations. JSA is a procedure used to review work methods and uncover hazards that might result in incidents/accidents. The job safety analysis will provide a framework for incident/accident analysis. You can download a sample job safety analysis form here.
When to Perform a Job Safety Analysis
A job safety analysis should be performed for all jobs that have resulted in a trend, death or a change in a job procedure or equipment.
Step 1: Select the Job
In selecting jobs to be analyzed and in establishing the order of analysis, the following factors should be considered. They are listed in order of importance:
- Jobs that have produced medical treatment or disabling injury during the past three years.
- Jobs that repeatedly produce accidents. The greater the number of accidents associated with the job, the greater its priority for a job safety analysis.
- Jobs that may not have a history of accidents but may have the potential for severe injury or property damage. The greater the potential severity, the greater its priority for a job safety analysis.
- New jobs created or jobs that entail a change in equipment or processes. These jobs won’t have a history of accidents, but their accident potential should be fully appreciated. Do not delay an analysis until an accident or a near miss occurs.
- Any accident that caused the death of an employee must have a job safety analysis made as part of the investigation.
Step 2: Perform the Analysis
The supervisor or the safety officer responsible for the task should perform the job safety analysis with the help of employees who regularly perform the task. The job being analyzed should be broken down into a sequence of steps that describe the process in detail and should be limited to less than 12 steps. If the JSA requires more than 12 steps, then the task should be broken down into another JSA.
First you should select a qualified person to perform the analysis. The analysis is performed by informing the employees who perform the task the purpose of the analysis. Then the task is observed and broken down into basic steps. Each step is recorded. Then review the steps with the employees who perform the task to ensure the information is correct.
The wording for each step should begin with an action word such as remove, open or lift.
Step 3: Identify Hazards
Hazards associated with each step are identified. To ensure a thorough analysis, answer the following questions about each step of the operation:
- Is there a danger of striking against, being struck by, cut by or otherwise making injurious contact with an object? Example: Flying objects created during grinding of models, metals, porcelain.
- Can the employee be caught in, by or between the objects?
- Is there a potential for a slip or trip? Example: Walnut shells on a vinyl or tile floor create a slippery surface.
- Can someone fall on the same level or to another?
- Can an employee strain themselves by pushing, pulling, lifting, bending or repetitive motion? Example: Filling bins of stone and plaster, stocking heavy items in inventory.
- Can an employee become infected by items being handled? Example: Unpacking cases from the dental offices; disinfecting impressions and other items that have been in the mouth.
- Can an employee be harmed by being exposed to a hazardous chemical? Example: Breathing in dust from sandblasting, mixing investment, grinding on metals.
- Is there a danger of coming into contact with hot objects or heat? Example: Hot water in boil out tanks, crucibles that are cooling down or steam.
Step 4: Develop Solutions
The final step in job safety analysis is to develop a safe, efficient job procedure to prevent accidents. The principal solutions for minimizing hazards that are identified in the analysis are as follows:
- Find a new way to do the job. To find an entirely new way to perform a task, determine the goal of the operation and analyze the various ways of reaching this goal. Select the safest method. Consider work saving tools and equipment.
- Change the physical conditions that create the hazard. If a new way to perform the job cannot be developed, change the physical conditions such as tools, materials, equipment, layout, location) to eliminate or control the hazard.
- Change the work procedure to eliminate the hazard. Investigate changes in the job procedure that would enable employees to perform the task without being exposed to the hazard.
If a job or process is changed dramatically, it should be discussed with all personnel involved to determine the possible consequences of the changes. The JSA should be checked and revised as needed.
Step 5: Conduct Follow-up Analysis
Just preparing the JSAs and reviewing them with employees one time is not sufficient. It is recommended that at least once a month each supervisor should observe employees as they perform at least one job for which a JSA has been developed. This is the only way to ensure that the employees are following the safety procedures.
Use of the Job Safety Analysis
The JSA provides a learning opportunity for the supervisor and employee. Copies of the job safety analysis should be distributed to all employees who perform that job. The supervisors should explain the analysis to the employees and, if necessary, provide additional training. New employees must be trained immediately to avoid development of dangerous habits.
Jobs that are performed infrequently require additional effort to minimize accident potential.
Finally, the job safety analysis is an incident/accident investigation tool. When incidents/accidents occur involving a job for which a job safety analysis has been performed, the analysis should be reviewed to determine if proper procedures were followed or if the procedures should be revised.
Record Keeping
JSAs should be readily available to employees. You may want to have the safety coordinator retain the master set of JSAs, but they should also be available in each department and readily accessible to employees.
