What is a Job Safety Analysis?

A job safety analysis (JSA) is a structured procedure that provides an overview of the identified hazards (e.g., biological, physical, chemical, etc.) present within a job, task, or process and offers safety measures to avoid or eliminate said hazards. In some cases, a job safety analysis is also called a job hazard analysis or a job hazard breakdown.

Simply put, a job safety analysis evaluates a specific task or procedure in a risk assessment context. It involves identifying hazards, implementing safety measures, and managing and controlling tasks to avoid the likelihood of hazards.

Here’s a list of steps on how to perform a job safety analysis:

Step 1: Sort and prioritize tasks or jobs to analyze
Step 2: Analyze each step of the job
Step 3: Inspect each phase of the job or procedure to analyze the different types of hazards. 
Step 4: Note down the hazards in a document.
Step 5: After hazard identification, practice control methods like:

• • 1) elimination
  • 2) substitution
  • 3) engineering controls
  • 4) administrative controls
  • 5) personal protective equipment for a safe working environment.

Step 6: Review your job safety analysis to refine and polish your document.

A typical example of a job safety analysis in a manufacturing warehouse would be:

When identifying hazards in the workplace, a job safety analysis breaks it down into two different types: hazards to health and hazards to safety. From there, hazard groups are broken down into three different hazard groups based on the hazard at hand. Even further, a JSA looks at hazard families, hazard criteria, and mechanism of injury to identify and assess the hazard.

After completing a JSA properly, you will have identified potential hazards and proposed potential ways to eliminate them. When dealing with hazards, remember the Hierarchy of Hazard Controls. Start by trying to completely eliminate and physically remove the hazard, replace the hazard, and implement controls to address the risk. To help you better understand what a job safety analysis means, Creative Safety Supply offers a range of resources and safety tools to control and manage hazards effectively.

Additional Job Safety facts:

• A job safety analysis (JSA) is a procedure that helps integrate accepted safety and health principles and practices into a particular task or job operation. The goal of a JSA is to identify potential hazards of a specific role and recommend procedures to control or prevent these hazards. Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Job_safety_analysis
• A JSA consists of four basic steps: selecting the job to be analyzed, breaking the job down into a sequence of steps, identifying the hazards associated with each step, and determining preventive measures to overcome the hazards. Source: https://www.osha.gov/sites/default/files/publications/osha3071.pdf
• A JSA can benefit both employers and employees by improving workplace safety and health, reducing injuries and illnesses, enhancing communication and training, and complying with OSHA standards and regulations. Source: https://www.ehs.harvard.edu/programs/job-safety-analysis-jsa
• A JSA should be conducted by a team that includes the workers who perform the job, their supervisors, and any safety and health professionals. The team should review the JSA periodically and update it whenever there are changes in the job, equipment, or work environment. Source: https://www.osha.gov/sites/default/files/publications/osha3071.pdf
• A JSA can be documented using a simple form that lists the job steps, hazards, and controls. An example of a JSA form can be found here. Source: https://www.ehs.harvard.edu/programs/job-safety-analysis-jsa