What is a job safety analysis checklist?
A job safety analysis (JSA) is used to identify potential hazards on a worksite to protect employees from possible injury or even death. A JSA provides insight into what risks are associated with a particular task and what options are available to prevent or mitigate them.
At every workplace, employees are exposed to hazards while on the job – some more, some less. It is a matter of integrating recognized safety and health principles and practices into the task or work operation to reduce the amount of work-related injuries. However, a JSA is not appropriate for tasks that are too broad, for example, “overhaul a hot water system,” or too narrow, for example, “position a jack.” The terms job hazard analysis (JHA) and job hazard breakdown are also used to describe the process.
In general, responsible employees create a document that lists the individual job steps and the hazards associated with those steps. It can be difficult to keep track of them all and review each potential hazard. This is where the clarity of a job safety analysis (JSA) checklist helps break down individual work processes and identify potential hazards. The final part of the analysis is to evaluate the information gathered to find actions that can eliminate or minimize the hazards.
This article addresses the following topics:
1. The relevance of a job safety analysis
2. What is the purpose of a JSA?
3. The 4 steps of a job safety analysis
5. Required job safety documents
6. The benefits of a digital checklist in anaylse
What is the Relevance of a Job Safety Analysis?
To conduct a job safety analysis is an important obligation for companies to reduce the risk of injury in the workplace as well as to improve overall working conditions. Workplace safety is critical for both employers and employees and using a safety observation report checklist can help to spot potential hazards in the workplace.
Companies that fail to take the necessary safety precautions run the risk of injuring workers, exposing themselves to bad publicity and potential litigation. Workers who take on tasks without being aware of the risks involved are putting themselves at potential risk. One way for everyone to get around this is to conduct a job safety analysis for all tasks or departure processes.
What is the Purpose of a JSA?
But what is a JSA form and what problem is it responding to?
Every day, thousands of workers are exposed to unsafe working conditions, and hundreds more get injured or die as a result of improper safety training or lack of personal protective equipment that should be provided by the company.
An audit aims to report hazards before they result in injury or death.
Everyone has the right to safety and health. Conducting regular safety inspections is not up for debate. Not only is it important to keep employees safe during working hours, but you’ll also want to do it to remain compliant with state and federal rules and regulations. Not doing so could put your business at risk.
According to OSHA, worker rights include:
- Receive training in a language understood by your employees
- All machines and equipment are safe and up to regulatory standards
- All employees receive the proper safety training and equipment
- The right not to be exposed to toxic chemicals or heavy metals
- Report injuries, illness, or hazards without fear of retaliation
- Request an OSHA inspection and be free to talk with the inspector
- See records of work-related injuries, illnesses, or deaths
- Request to see results of audits and inspections
A checklist is a general guideline, and it doesn’t cover all the potential pitfalls or hazards that can crop up on a job site. For that reason, an audit should include an empty field where auditors can add any miscellaneous comments or concerns. Regardless of conducting inspections and audits, employees should feel safe to speak up if they encounter unsafe working conditions.
What Happens to Businesses Who don’t Comply with Health and Safety Regulations?
Worst case scenario, if it is found that your business was out of compliance with the safety laws pertaining to your industry that resulted in a death, your business can be dissolved entirely.
Other consequences include:
- Becoming susceptible to lawsuits
- Changing the company’s legal status
- The government can exact fines
- The government can conduct surprise audits
That is to say, if it is found that you were in compliance with health and safety codes, and an injury or death resulted from a worker consciously engaging in unsafe activities, then that worker would be held responsible for endangering himself and others by being fined or even sentenced to jail time or community service.
After the amount of time, risk, and capital involved in building a business, it would be a shame to lose it all because of an incident that could have been avoided. Not to mention the irreversible, lifelong suffering to the employee and their family as a result of the accident. No one wants to be responsible for causing others pain, so make sure you do your part and complete a job hazard analysis checklist on a regular basis.
The Most Common Causes of Worksite Accidents
The industrial environment is riddled with accidents waiting to happen. It might come as a surprise to know the most common workplace accidents are 100% avoidable. By understanding which circumstances are most likely to cause injury, you can make an informed decision on how best to mitigate the risk.
Lifting Heavy Objects
Many injuries happen because employees are using the wrong lifting technique, or they attempt a two-person lift by themselves. Training employees on the proper techniques and encouraging them to ask others for help can prevent muscle sprains, tears, broken bones, and a myriad of other health problems.
Not Taking a Break
Most state laws require employees to take a fifteen-minute paid break for every four to six hours worked consecutively or a 30-minute paid break for every eight hours worked consecutively. There’s a number of reasons why employees choose not to take their break—they’re too busy, or there’s not enough personnel available to cover their break—whatever it is, fatigue can lead to expensive mistakes and injury.
Dehydration
This one goes hand in hand with not taking the required breaks. It’s vital that employees adhere to labor laws and take their breaks, and this must be enforced by the employer. Failing to do so will result in non-compliance consequences. Breaks offer employees the opportunity to hydrate, rest, and reduce their stress levels. Not drinking enough water can leave the worker susceptible to heatstroke, unnecessary fatigue, and cause them to pass out.
Insufficient Lighting
This is probably one of the most overlooked causes of workplace accidents. Because dimming happens slowly over an extended period of time, many people don’t notice the lighting is poor until the space has been brightened once again. Think of it like you’re reading in the dark when someone finally comes along and turns on the light. Without even realizing it, the natural light you had been reading by had gradually diminished. By simply changing out dim light bulbs or installing a few extra lamps, you can get rid of this risk altogether.
What are the 4 Steps of a Job Safety Analysis?
There are several ways to conduct a job safety analysis. One way is to assign an employee to analyze individual tasks and note potential hazards. Another option is to bring together a group of professionals who are familiar with the task to get a lot of timely feedback on the process.
Implementing a structured JSA form for the task will assist in performing the job safety analysis. To make this successful, these 4 general steps can be followed:
1. Split the task
The task should be divided into individual steps as much as possible. They should be very detailed so that the work is presented as thoroughly as possible. Tasks can also be divided into sections, such as a PSA section. This way, only one area can be focused on at a time, and there is no need to switch between completely different tasks.
2. Identify risks and hazards
The inspection should begin by going through all the tasks on the job safety analysis worksheet, and whenever a potential risk is identified, it is noted. A JSA checklist is best for this purpose. It allows for a better overview of the tasks to be completed, tasks that have already been completed can be easily checked off.
3. Take action
After risk identification comes hazard elimination. If it is necessary, a qualified employee should be assigned to the task. In addition, preventive measures should also be considered to avoid the same risk occurring again
4. Documentation
At the end, the documentation should be completed to include the results and actions. For this purpose, the previously mentioned checklist can serve as a basis with its “note” fields for further notes. Subsequently, the analysis can be converted into a report listing all individual process steps. Alongside these steps are listed the hazards associated with them and the actions taken to address them.
Regardless of how the job safety analysis is conducted, it is important that the end result is a detailed document that does not exclude any conceivable hazards. Employers must first decide which tasks warrant analysis. The tasks deemed potentially hazardous are then broken down into the steps an employee must perform to obtain a reliable job safety analysis.
What Types of Hazards does a Job Safety Anaylsis Check For?
A job safety analysis form checks for any hazards that might pose a threat to workers. This includes but is not limited to:
- Electrical systems
- Noise
- Vibrations
- Heights
- Exposure to the elements
- Extreme high or low temperatures
- Unguarded machinery
- Hazardous chemicals or gases
- Radiation
- Disease
- Violence
- Fire
- Inadequate lighting
- Poor ventilation
- Forklifts
- Biological hazards
- Defective machinery and tools
Each worksite and industry poses its own threats and challenges. Being aware of the risks and anticipating the unexpected will go a long way in keeping employees out of the hospital and on site.
Construction
Construction sites are notoriously dangerous. Hard hats aren’t going to do much if a two-ton pipe falls on your head because the proper safety precautions were neglected. A checklist of potential hazards helps point out potential liabilities to inspectors and reminds workers to stay diligent in their construction site appraisals.
Keep a lookout for the most common construction site dangers:
- Moving objects
- Falling objects
- Airborne particles
- Hand arm vibration syndrome
- Asbestos
Healthcare
Working in healthcare poses all sorts of risks to individuals, the most common of which is being exposed to and contracting diseases. But there are other very real perils healthcare workers encounter everyday:
- Radiation exposure
- Laboratory chemicals
- Pharmaceuticals
- Cleaning chemicals
- Patient violence
Oil and Gas
The oil and gas industry is notorious for breaking regulations. It seems every few years there’s another major pipeline that breaks and dumps thousands of tons of oil into the ocean every day. The oil disasters are just one regulation failure we see because of the news. Imagine how many regulations they break when it comes to worker safety.
- Vehicle collisions
- Being crushed by machinery or objects
- Explosions and fires
- Falls from perilous heights
- High pressure lines leaking gases
Mining
Like the oil and gas industry, mining has its slew of dangers. Working outside with heavy machinery is a recipe for disaster. Here is a list of some of the most common work-related dangers in the mining industry:
- Water flooding the mines
- Airborne diesel and silica particles
- Rock Bursting during operations
- Worker fatigue
- Risk of exposure
Forestry
In the forestry industry, wherever trees grow, the equipment has to follow. It’s not uncommon for heavy machinery to be rolled up steep hills or placed on dangerous terrain. These are just five examples of what foresters have to be aware of on a daily basis:
- Rock falls
- Whole-body vibrations
- Slipping on wet or icy ground
- Falling tree branches
- Chainsaw kickbacks
Conducting a thorough analysis of a worksite can greatly reduce occupational hazards. Job sites are open to change as conditions improve or worsen. Sometimes these conditions can’t be controlled or predicted, like changing weather patterns. In this case, reactive measures such as taking more frequent water breaks in extreme heat should be put in place to ensure the safety of everyone in the crew.
What Documents are Required to Remain Compliant with Regulations?
The government has to have some way of keeping track of the odd thirty million businesses or so practicing within the US today. Like so many of their other solutions, they decided to create more paperwork. This not only holds businesses accountable for the well being of those they employ, but it also gives the government a paper trail to follow up on to see whether or not these businesses are complying with the regulations in place to ensure the workforce’s safety.
JSA documents required to stay compliant with federal regulations include:
- Training Certifications
Those training new employees on high-risk tasks require a training certification. This ensures that the trainer knows what he or she is doing and can instruct others to complete the task safely. - Inspection Records by Qualified Persons
The inspections done on a job site must be carried out by a qualified person with the appropriate certifications. That means certain inspections can’t be performed by an employee. Sometimes a government official or a certified agency has to do the audits. - Hazard Assessment
A list of hazards that employees could potentially be exposed to must be appropriately documented with an accompanying list of preventive safety measures. - Emergency Action Plan
There needs to be a set of written instructions covering the course of action employees should take in the event of an unexpected emergency. This could include tornados, hurricanes, power outages, fires, etc. - Records of Injuries, Illnesses, or Death
Injury and illness records must be posted and available to all employees. It is a worker’s right to be informed of the job’s risks and possible injuries they may sustain performing the required tasks. - Written Documentation of Training Programs
Depending on the required tasks, employees might have to undergo hazard training. These trainings must be logged and include step-by-step procedures detailing how to handle dangerous substances or perform hazardous tasks safely. - Records of Hazardous Chemicals
If a company deals in hazardous chemicals, a list of those chemicals must be documented. - Job Safety Documents
These documents comprise permits required for dangerous work. For example, working with unsafe substances or in extreme temperatures. - Chemical Safety Data Sheets
If a job site works with dangerous chemicals, they should have a physical copy of the potential health risks and side effects of each dangerous substance in their employ readily available to employees. - Department of Labor Required Postings
Any and all posters issued by the Department of Labor must be hung in a conspicuous place and visible to all employees.
The physical documentation listed above must be presented to safety officer upon request.
Advantages of a digital checklist for job safety analysis
With Lumiform’s mobile app, safety managers can easily conduct workplace safety inspections via tablet or smartphone – online or offline. The desktop software is used to create digital checklists that can be used to collect data on-site for later analysis.
Through the app, corrective actions are quickly assigned to team members and their implementation is easily tracked. Thanks to easy communication within the team and with third parties, internal processes can be improved, and thus risks can be eliminated up to four times faster. With Lumiform, responsible employees can implement:
- The flexible form construction kit makes it possible to create new individual checklists at any time and to adapt them again and again.
- Planning a job safety analysis with a template from Lumiform’s comprehensive template library.
- Generate real-time data on work processes. Thus, safety is made measurable and processes are constantly optimized based on data.
- Gain an overview of employee safety immediately with the help of the results.
- All audit results are automatically bundled into one report and can be sent immediately to stakeholders.
