Free Online JHA Builder

The builder

How to fill it in

The builder follows the method in OSHA's booklet Job Hazard Analysis (OSHA 3071). Work through it in this order:

1. Job details. The title, location, analyst and date are the header fields on OSHA's sample form. [OSHA] Put the person who wrote it, not the company, under analyst.
2. Steps. Watch the job and list each step as the worker takes it. OSHA's guide to the right size of a step:

   “Avoid making the breakdown of steps so detailed that it becomes unnecessarily long or so broad that it does not include basic steps.”

   Use the Up and Down buttons to put them in the order they happen.
3. Hazards. For each step ask OSHA's questions: what can go wrong, what the consequences are, how it could arise, what else contributes, and how likely it is. [OSHA]A good entry names where it happens, who it happens to, what sets it off and the outcome. [OSHA] Fill in the consequence box; it is what makes the control urgent to the person reading it.
4. Controls. Add one or more controls for each hazard and pick the type. The builder numbers them 1, 2, 3 and sorts them in that order on the printed page, so the crew always reads the engineering fix before the PPE.
5. Review and print. Go through the steps with the people who do the job before you print. OSHA 3071 asks you to involve them in every phase, from reviewing the steps to discussing the controls, and to make clear you are evaluating the job, not their performance. [OSHA]

Why the control order matters

OSHA 3071 ranks controls in Appendix 1:

“The order of precedence and effectiveness of hazard control is the following: 1. Engineering controls. 2. Administrative controls. 3. Personal protective equipment.”

In OSHA's list, eliminating or minimizing the hazard sits inside engineering controls, alongside enclosing it, isolating it with guards or interlocks, and removing it with ventilation. Administrative controls are written procedures, work permits, exposure time limits, alarms and signs, the buddy system and training. [OSHA] PPE is acceptable when engineering controls are not feasible or do not fully eliminate the hazard, while they are being developed, when safe work practices are not enough, and during emergencies. [OSHA] OSHA also notes that in practice the final answer is often a combination of all three. [OSHA] The builder lets you add as many controls as a hazard needs and keeps them in that order.

What this tool does not do

• It does not know your standards. The controls you type are yours. OSHA 3071 tells you to consult the OSHA standards for your industry and says compliance with them is mandatory. [OSHA]If you are in construction, start with the Part 1926 subpart for the task.
• It does not store anything for you. The draft lives on this device only. Print or save a PDF when you finish.
• It does not replace review. Re-read the JHA periodically and after any injury or close call on it, and retrain anyone affected by the changes. [OSHA]