Job Hazard Analysis (JHA) is a technique that focuses on the relationship between workers, tasks, tools, and the work environment as a way to identify hazards before they occur. If you do not review your workers’ safety regularly, your safety preparedness program is going to be faulty in more ways than one. Performing regular Job Hazard Analyses will help your company ensure that no new hazards develop unchecked. The JHA process will detail your company’s needs and establish good precedent for future safety initiatives.
You may conduct the actual JHA in any number of ways, but should try to follow an overall structure that takes you from hazard identification to responsive training. Communication is key to making your Job Hazard Analyses successful, so you’ll need to make sure that clarity and transparency are prioritized throughout your program.
Hazard assessment is the most important diagnostic part of a JHA. The total process should include looking at the causes and effects of a specific hazard, using relevant OSHA guidelines to determine legal hazards as well as physical ones. At this part of the process, you should also look to see what losses have already been incurred and what actions can be taken immediately to avoid further harm or losses.
After you have looked at and identified the hazards in your workplace, the next step is to look for ways to avoid letting them propagate. Establishing a new training program aimed at mitigating the specific hazard will help remove the hazard not only in the short term, but also in an ongoing way. It is also helpful to integrate the results of your JHA into your standard safety program to reinforce the importance of the findings and continuously call attention to resolving the identified dangers.
