How to Perform a Job Safety Analysis

Even in the modern workplace, common safety mistakes are resulting in catastrophic outcomes that could have been avoided. By understanding the importance of carrying out a job safety analysis, employers can protect their team from unnecessary hazards in the workplace by implementing simple measures.

The job safety analysis consists of identifying potential hazards within an organization so processes can be implemented to improve health and safety. The steps involved help find unseen hazards across different tasks or departments by breaking down the risks, allowing them to be addressed and rectified.

Why Carry Out A Job Safety Analysis?

The analysis process is there to identify previously undetected hazards which in turn increases the awareness of both employees and management. By improving the health and safety on site, a safer workplace is promoted and communication among employees will improve as awareness grows.

Once carried out, the job safety analysis will form the basis of the health and safety processes and acts as a basis for managerial positions and their employees. It will be used to teach new and existing staff members during training sessions and can also be used during health and safety inspections to assist the inspector.

In many cases, those carrying out a job safety analysis will physically observe workers performing their job to get a better understanding of how things are done daily. This is bound to reveal hazards that would not arise based on just having discussions as a business owner, being a practical way to monitor the situation. Getting more people from across the business involved is bound to get a more rounded understanding as the entire hierarchy can have their say and raise any hazards they are aware of.

How to Perform A Job Safety Analysis

1. Observe the workplace

Start by brainstorming any obvious hazards within the organization and then carry out observation of workers going about their daily duties. The aim is to stop checking for productivity and instead check for safety, establishing whether employees can safely meet their goals.

During this step, consider things such as any past incidents which may have occurred, any concerns that have been raised by employees, the risk level of any hazards, and even wider incidents that are common in the industry. Write down all of the hazards that are discussed among your team and whether they can be immediately addressed.

2. Start with the obvious

Cutting out some of the more obvious threats right away will help tackle the list from the identification stage and make it less of a daunting process. In many organizations, simple health and safety precautions may be overlooked as we all focus on tight deadlines and improving productivity, but addressing these right away can see big improvements. Whether these changes involve updating old or broken PPE, fixing or replacing faulty equipment, or adjusting processes, tackle the smaller jobs first to free up time for the bigger issues.

3. Consider the urgency

Now that you have a list of the hazards from step 1, establish which are the more urgent threats that need to be resolved sooner rather than later. Rank them in order of importance so the team knows where to begin and can start to tackle the list, starting with the hazards that pose the biggest threat of injury.

To create an action plan, break down each job into multiple tasks which can be allocated to the calendars of those who will be addressing the issues. To do so, start by observing employees when carrying out a task that is considered high risk and analyzing it in detail, asking for their consent to record it. Once it is clear exactly where the hazard lies, break the task down into smaller steps and pinpoint where changes need to be made, running through the list with the relevant employees to ensure your observations align with their reality.

4. Create awareness of the hazard(s)

The task breakdowns should have made it clear exactly where all of the hazards within an organization lie and where improvements need to be made. Run through each in the list and discuss the potential outcomes, who is at risk, and what the triggers of the hazards are. The contributing factors will align with the possible consequences and the worst-case scenarios should be accounted for, making yourselves aware of just how serious the outcomes could be. Also, consider the likelihood of injury for each task and align them with OSHA regulations for your industry, ensuring you are meeting the standards or whether immediate action is necessary for legal purposes.

5. Finalize your framework

Now that it is clear what action needs to be taken, analyze whether it is feasible. Once management has agreed on a process change, consult the employees who will be affected to brainstorm whether the improvements are possible or whether adjustments are needed. Discussing the analysis results with those who work with the hazards firsthand will get more insight and help finalize the decision.

In some cases, the processes themselves are considered safe but the employees carrying them out incorrectly are creating the hazards. Providing a simple training session could be all that is required, clearing up any miscommunications and highlighting the importance of working in line with health and safety precautions. Equipment and machinery are other key areas that could be creating new hazards if they are failing to be maintained or updated regularly. By staying on top of a workplace, its equipment, and its employees, a job safety analysis will become much quicker to complete next time.