Edition No. 9

Back to the Basics: Analyzing Job Hazards and Safety

The real key to a successful Job Hazard Analysis (JHA) and Job Safety Analysis (JSA) is not only the assignment of an accurate risk value to each task but also the use of a combination evaluation method for the analysis. By melding a tabletop discussion with job monitoring and oversight, unforeseen problems can be revealed. From this vantage point, work procedures may be designed that both benefit the organization and enhance the health and safety of its workers.

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Also in this Issue...

Developing an Emergency Response Program

Risk Management and the Insurance Industry

Design for Environmental Safety & Health: Product Manufacturing

Developing and Prioritizing Your EHS Management Strategy
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JHA / JSA Defined

It is important to note the differences between a JHA and a JSA. A Job Hazard Analysis should be the preliminary step to evaluating hazards associated with any job category or function. The JHA assigns risk while the JSA identifies specific hazards and provides tools to remediate the hazards.

The 10th Edition National Safety Council Accident Prevention Manual for Business & Industry defines Job Safety Analysis as:

"A procedure used to review job methods and uncover hazards that:

  1. May have been overlooked in the layout of the plant or building and in the design of the machinery, equipment, tools, workstations, and processes;

  2. May have developed after production started;

  3. Resulted from changes in work procedures or personnel; and

  4. Is one of the first steps in hazard and accident analysis and in safety training.”

Performing a JHA prior to a JSA is critical because it allows a company to prioritize the implementation of its workplace safety efforts. For example, a job task with a high probability and high severity rating would receive priority in fixing or eliminating the hazard versus a job task that has a medium probability and low severity ranking. After the JHA is completed, a JSA should be performed on all procedures that received a risk ranking of high or medium.

Job Safety Analysis

The JSA is a basic tool. Occasionally, difficulties with JSA may arise because of individual interpretation and the assignment of risk. Most safety professionals tend to measure risk on the conservative side. But during the JSA process, the responsibility of evaluating risk may be placed in the hands of managers, supervisors, and engineers, who are not perhaps as conservative or who may not completely understand the risk. To one individual, a job may be life threatening and to another, the hazards are part of a normal day’s work. Heavy lifting, for example, in certain industries happens hourly; in other industries, like light manufacturing and certain technology sectors, it is virtually forbidden.

An effective Job Safety Analysis should measure risk consistently. How does an EHS professional measure risk? Is it only through personal experience or are there relevant courses or articles that are easily attainable and up-to-date that complement formal EHS education? One of the most practical ways to measure risk is by utilizing a standard hazards matrix in which risk can be effectively calculated. Remember that Risk = Severity x Probability meaning that Risk is equal to the severity of the outcome multiplied by the probability that the outcome will happen.

Risk Assessment Guidelines

SEMI (Semiconductor Equipment and Materials International), the trade organization for the semiconductor industry, has issued guidelines for this purpose establishing general principles for risk assessment that enable identification of hazards, risk estimation, and risk evaluation in a consistent and practical manner. These guidelines provide a framework for carrying out risk assessments on equipment in the semiconductor industry and can also be applied to processes and facilities in other industries. The SEMI assessment is available for a fee on the SEMI website. In addition, the American Institute of Chemical Engineers or AIChE offers a hazard and operability risk-ranking index that can also be purchased from their website at:

Using JSA / JHA Methodology

An effective JSA breaks down a job task into individual steps and provides an awareness of the hazards and possible mitigation strategies for each. Three ways to perform a JSA / JHA are:

  1. Tabletop discussion with engineers, operators, maintenance technicians, and equipment suppliers with the operations or preventative maintenance specifications in-hand;

  2. By observing the actual job in the field; and

  3. By using a combination of tabletop discussions and field observation.

Let’s look at the benefits of numbers 1 and 2 above using the example of a preventive maintenance procedure on a piece of equipment. In tabletop discussions where engineers, operators, maintenance technicians, and equipment suppliers review line by line the operations and maintenance procedures, differences between the company requirements and those of the equipment supplier are identified. This may not occur during field observation because vendors and/or vendor documentation may not be available.

Tabletop exercises are an effective way to identify the differences of how various job types implement EHS procedures. One example of this is the interpretation of hazardous energy procedures between operators, equipment maintenance technicians, vendor technicians, and facilities technicians. In addition, tabletop JSAs provide an opportunity to compare how company programs are being implemented or if they are being enforced inconsistently in certain segments of the company.

Examples include:

There are, of course, benefits of watching the job being performed. Tasks involving the actual process tend to identify immediate hazards present during the work. Examples include:

Don’t Forget

It is important to recognize that just because a technician has been performing a task for an extended period of time, doesn’t mean it’s being completed safely. The longer a technician goes without an accident, the more complacent they feel, and the more they tend to skip steps or take shortcuts. Remember that higher-level managers have the ultimate responsibility for health and safety in the workplace, so if you don’t understand the risks your engineers are giving technicians, find out. You could be held responsible if a large OSHA or federal agency inspection uncovers problems.

When observing the task while the technician is following the company preventative maintenance procedures, you can find missed or inaccurate steps or missing safety-related information. Videotaping the process is also helpful and serves as an effective review tool during tabletop exercises, for training purposes, or for writing and/or modifying specifications on existing and new processes.

Developing an Effective JHA / JSA

In summary, the five keys for achieving an effective JHA / JSA are:

  1. Involving the technician up front in the process;

  2. Having experienced technicians perform the job steps;

  3. Having a well-trained evaluator on staff who monitors consistent hazard identification procedures;

  4. Limiting jobs to 12 sequenced steps or less; and

  5. Reviewing the JSA with the technician after completion

More Information: