The Power of Job Safety Analysis

Safety programs are rarely one size fits all, even within the same company. Though your organization or industry may be susceptible to specific types of hazards or safety issues, that doesn’t necessarily mean that all roles and situations carry the same level of risk.

It’s important for companies to conduct a Job Safety Analysis (JSA) that dials in on hazards or issues that are unique to a specific role or situation. When employees in a role are more aware of the safety and environmental challenges they face, they are better positioned to take control of their work environment.

Sometimes referred to as Job Hazard Analysis or by the acronyms JSA or JHA, a Job Safety Analysis is the harmonization of acceptable safety practices and principles with a particular job role, task, or function.

JSA follows a specific set of steps to create an in-depth analysis of how certain functions of a task should be handled due to safety or health concerns. The goal is to break down the specific actions of a task, identify potential hazards, and determine the safest possible way to complete the task.

Some organizations take JSA a step further and analyze all tasks and functions of a job, not just from a health and safety perspective. This is referred to as Total Job Analysis.

JSA is typically applied to jobs or tasks that are not too specific (e.g. positioning a car jack) and not too broad (e.g. washing a company vehicle).