Writing a full analysis for a recurring job, with more steps and room to type? That is the JSA template, a ten-row editable table.
What is on the form
| On the form | What goes there |
|---|---|
| Job / task, location, date | Name the task plainly and give the exact spot. One form per task per day. |
| Prepared by, supervisor, start time, crew size | Who wrote it, who approves it, when the work starts and how many people the controls must cover. |
| Before the job starts (8 checks) | Everyone has read the JSA; permits in hand; lockout applied where there is stored energy; tools inspected; PPE present and in good condition; emergency numbers, first aid and muster point known; area barricaded or signed; weather, lighting and ground checked. Tick what is done; a blank box is a reason not to start. |
| Six step rows | Basic job step, potential hazards, safe procedure or controls. OSHA's method: list the steps as the worker takes them, ask what can go wrong in each, and pick controls with engineering changes ahead of procedures and PPE. [OSHA] |
| Crew sign-off (6 lines) | Printed name, signature, date, under the line "I took part in this JSA and will follow it". The signature records a conversation, so hold the conversation. |
| Supervisor signature | The approval. The supervisor keeps the sheet. |
How to run it with the crew
- Do it where the work is. Stand at the task, not in the trailer. OSHA's method starts by watching the job and listing each step as it is done. [OSHA]
- Go through the eight checks out loud. Permits, lockout, PPE, emergency plan. Anything not ticked is handled before the first step.
- Steps first, then hazards. Write all the steps, then go back and ask for each one what can go wrong and to whom. [OSHA] Let the crew answer; OSHA says their knowledge of the job is what finds the hazards. [OSHA]
- Controls that change the job beat reminders. A physical change first, then a procedure, then PPE. [OSHA] Write who does the control, not just what it is.
- Immediate dangers get fixed now. OSHA: take immediate action to protect the worker, and correct easy problems straight away rather than waiting for the analysis to be finished. [OSHA]
- Everyone signs. Then the supervisor signs and keeps the sheet with the day's paperwork.
Example: one step, three hazards
OSHA's worked example in its JHA booklet is grinding iron castings. The first step is picking up a 15-pound casting from a box and carrying it to the wheel. OSHA finds three hazards in that single step and gives each its own controls. [OSHA] The third is the one crews most often skip:
“Reaching, twisting, and lifting 15-pound castings from the floor could result in a muscle strain to the lower back.”
And its controls, in OSHA's words:
“1. Move castings from the ground and place them closer to the work zone to minimize lifting. Ideally, place them at waist height or on an adjustable platform or pallet. 2. Train workers not to twist while lifting and reconfigure work stations to minimize twisting during lifts.”
On this form that is one step row with the hazard "lifting 15-lb castings from floor, back strain" and the controls "castings staged at waist height on a pallet; no twisting while lifting". The other two hazards OSHA lists for the same step, dropping a casting on a foot and cuts from sharp burrs, take their own rows. [OSHA] Six rows go quickly once you write one hazard per row, which is why a long job belongs on the template, not this sheet.