Job Hazard Analysis

Overview

What does JHA mean? Study Questions Establishing JHA Priorities Selecting a JHA Team Performing a JHA

Identifying Basic Job Step Practice Exercise Determining Existing and Potential Hazards Recommending Corrective Measures Using JHA Summary

Establishing JHA Priorities

Establishing priorities are based on the following criteria: High frequency of accidents or near-misses History of serious accidents or fatalities Potential for serious harm New jobs Changes in procedures and standards

Establishing JHA Priorities

Note: even the most routine jobs can include unrecognized hazards. By performing a thorough JHA you may be able to discover a safer or healthier way of performing the job.

Selecting a JHA Team

Involving others in the process reduced the possibility of overlooking an individual job step or potential hazard. It also increases the likelihood of identifying the most appropriate measures of eliminating or controlling the hazards.

Selecting a JHA Team

An effective JHA team usually include: The supervisor The employee most familiar with how the job is done and its related hazards Other employees who perform the job Experts or specialist when necessary, such as maintenance personnel, occupational hygienist, ergonomists, or design engineers.

Performing a JHA
Three-stage process List the basic steps necessary to perform the job from start to finish Identify every existing or potential hazards associated with each job step Develop recommendations for ways to eliminate, or control each hazard. Note: it is best to complete JHA forms one column at a time.

Identifying Basic Job Steps

The most effective way for the JHA Team to identify the basic job steps is to watch carefully as an operator performs the entire job at least once. Then, as the operator performs the job again, the individual steps are noted in the JHA form using simple action phrases that are short and to the point. Job steps should be numbered to indicate the order in which they are performed

Identifying Basic Job Steps

Two of the most common errors made during this stage:

Describing the job in too much detail, or, Describing the step in too detail.

Identifying Basic Job Steps

The purpose of JHA is to identify hazards associated with a job and to make recommendations for ways to eliminate or control these hazards. Describing job steps in terms of what they are supposed to accomplish provides maximum opportunity to explore alternative ways of performing the job in a safer, healthier manner.

Practice Exercise
Identifying Basic Job steps Job Description: As you leave for work today, you discover that your car has a flat tire. The car is parked on level ground, and the parking brake is already set. The bumper jack and the spare tire are both in good condition and stored in the cars trunk. Job Steps: 1. Remove a jack, spare tire, and the lug wrench from the trunk. 2. Loosen lug nuts 3. Raise jack 4. Remove flat tire 5. Install spare tire 6. Lower jack 7. Tighten lug nuts 8. Place flat tire, jack and lug wrench in trunk.

Determining Existing and Potential Hazards

Simple technique to make sure that each step is examined thoroughly is to consider 4 focus: 1. The physical actions required for that specific step 2. The materials used 3. The equipment used 4. The conditions under which the step is normally performed.

Determining Existing and Potential Hazards

1.

Physical Actions
Many jobs require the operator to perform a specific physical activity that, if done incorrectly can result in an injury or illness. Ex: lifting of heavy objects causing back injury or muscle strain

Determining Existing and Potential Hazards

2.

Materials
Whenever hazardous chemicals or other dangerous substances are involved in a job step, there is always the possibility of injury, illness, or environmental harm. Carefully examine the job step for possibilities that employees might be exposed to material; a fire or explosion could occur; or if the material could be released into the environment

Determining Existing and Potential Hazards

3.

Equipment
Examine the job step for ways employees might be caught in, on, or by any part of the equipment, and to see if any electrical or other energy source or hazards are present that poses a risk.

Determining Existing and Potential Hazards

4.

Conditions
Consider any environmental conditions that could threaten an employees health and safety This could include poor housekeeping, too much or too little light; hazardous noise levels; exposure to temperature extremes; and adverse weather.

Determining Existing and Potential Hazards

What if Questions
In addition to identifying those potential hazards when the job is performed in the normal manner or under normal working conditions, asking some what if questions allows the team to anticipate hazardous situations that might occur if normal operating conditions were suddenly changed or if a job step were to be performed incorrectly or out of sequence.

Determining Existing and Potential Hazards

Common problem encountered when asking What if questions is deciding when to stop considering possibilities Solutions: Keep the discussion focused only on possibilities that the team considers most likely. Consult previous JHA and accident investigation reports Talk with experienced operators

Recommending Corrective Measures

Recommendations should be developed at the job site whenever possible Recommendations should be developed in sequence, beginning with the first hazard. Recommendations must be specific As many solutions as possible should be listed.

Recommending Corrective Measures

The same four factors used to identify hazards can be used to develop an effective recommendations for corrective measures: 1. The physical actions required for that specific step 2. The materials used 3. The equipment used 4. The conditions under which the step is normally performed

Recommending Corrective Measures

1.

Physical actions
It may be possible to eliminate the risks by modifying, rearranging or combining actions It is also good practice to list personal protective equipment (PPE) that may be used to control the employees exposure to hazards associated with a particular physical action even when recommendations for eliminating the hazard have been proposed.

Recommending Corrective Measures

2.

Materials
It may be possible to substitute a less hazardous material. If this is not possible, it may be necessary to recommend ways to control the employees exposure to that material by suggesting the use of PPE or the installation of protective devise such as splash guards or shields.

Recommending Corrective Measures

3.

Equipment
Recommendations for corrective measures may include the installation of machine guards, automatic safeguard devices, or perhaps even the replacement of a particular piece of equipment. Recommending the use of PPE should also be considered.

Recommending Corrective Measures

4.

Work Area Condition

Recommendations for corrective measures could include such things as improved housekeeping procedures, installation of additional lighting, ventilation, or noise reduction systems, the use of PPE, or the relocation or redesign of the work area.

Using Job Hazard Analysis

1.

2. 3. 4.

5.

The information provided by a thorough job hazard analysis can be used as the basis for Developing or updating standard operating procedures Training employees Observing employee performance Conducting inspections Investigating accidents

Summary

Job Hazard Analysis is one of the most effective tools available to help supervisors protect the health and safety of their employees To perform an accurate and completed JHA, you need to:

Select the job to be analyzed; and Assemble a team of knowledgeable and experienced personnel to conduct the JHA

Summary

Then, the team as a whole needs to:

Observe the job as it is performed to break it down into basic steps Analyze each step to determine what, if any, hazards could possibly occur, and Develop recommendations for eliminating or controlling the hazards associated with each step.;