JSA - Introduction

Job Safety Analysis

Job Safety Analysis (JSA) simply means looking at the work task and considering what is the safest way to complete it. It is a way of becoming aware of the hazards involved in doing the job and taking action to prevent an injury.
JSAs are also known as Activity Hazard Analysis (AHA), Job Hazard Analysis (JHA) and Task Hazard Analysis (THA).

The JSA process is suitable for different trades do different tasks, and need not require enormous amounts of time or use endless pieces of paper.

Job Safety Analysis Worksheets

Many tasks undertaken are done routinely and have probably been done the same way for years - sometimes safely, sometimes not. Before starting a task, it is essential to think of what is the safest and best way to do it. These JSA worksheets help in assessing the risks of doing the job.

Example of Job Safety Analysis Worksheet

Document the activity.. Assemble those involved in the activity and then, using the JSA worksheet, write down the tasks that make up the activity, step by step.
Identify the hazards.. Next to each task, identify what part of the task may cause injury to those doing the work or to anyone else nearby.
Document the control measures.. For each identified hazard, list the measures that need to be put in place to eliminate or minimise any likely risk of injury to those involved.
Identify who is responsible.. Document the name of the person responsible for implementing the control measure.
Monitor and review.. Make sure the activity is supervised to ensure the documented process is being followed. The JSA should be reviewed whenever a documented activity changes, when there is a change of personnel or after an appropriate length of time.

Remember

The JSA provides a written record of the process to be used to proceed on a task. As it is a record that can be used in court, it should be signed off by the parties who have responsibility for the tasks.
The JSA is only a written record. Management processes must be in place to ensure workers have the skills to complete the job and that there is a required level of supervision to ensure the tasks are completed as documented.
The JSA should be completed by all employees involved in the activity, not just the principal contractor or supervisor.