Conducting the JHA
Follow the steps/guide below to complete the JHA.
What is a JHA?
A JHA is a method for identifying and evaluating hazards associated with each task or step within a specific job or routine activity and eliminating or mitigating them prior to conducting work.
How do I conduct a JHA?
It is best to involve workers who do or will do the jobs being analyzed. Observe a worker perform the job or activity at the location where it is normally done.
A JHA involves doing the following:
- Select the job/activity to be analyzed.
- Break the job/activity down into a series of tasks.
- Identify potential hazards and consequences in each task.
- Determine preventative measures to overcome these hazards.
How do I identify jobs for analysis?
Ideally, all jobs/activities should have a JHA. However, jobs/activities with the following conditions should be considered a high priority for analysis:
- Jobs with a history of injuries or near misses
- High-risk jobs/activities with potential for fire, explosion, chemical release, catastrophic equipment failure
- Simple human error that may lead to serious injury
- New worker doing the job/activity
- Infrequently performed jobs/activities
- Any job/activity under a safety “work permit” - confined space permit, hot work permit, etc.
How do I break the job into basic tasks?
Break the job/activity into key tasks. Do not be too general and not be too detailed. Use the Job Hazard Analysis template form and the Job Hazard Analysis (JHA) Instructions.
Examples of JHAs developed at PSU are given in the PSU Job Hazard Analysis Library.
Take photos as needed to help describe the job tasks.
How do I identify potential hazards?
Identify potential hazards in each job task. For each hazard, ask the questions:
- What can go wrong?
- What are the consequences?
- How could it happen?
- What are other contributing factors?
- How likely is it that the hazard will occur?
How do I control the hazards?
Identify ways to eliminate or minimize the hazards in each task. The best method is to eliminate the hazard at the source. If that is not possible, control the hazard with engineering controls, safe work practices, and personal protective equipment (PPE), or limit worker exposure using administrative controls.
What type of PPE is needed for a hazard that cannot be eliminated or minimized?
When the use of engineering and/or administrative controls is not enough to eliminate or minimize the identified hazard, the following PPE should be considered:
- Safety glasses/goggles/face shields
- Gloves (specify type)
- Skin protection (lab coat/Tyvek suit)
- Respiratory protection
- Fall protection
- Hearing protection
- Hard hat
- Impact shielding
- Radiation shielding
What do I do when the JHA is completed?
After reviewing each job/activity and associated job tasks follow these final steps:
- Ensure equipment and supplies are acquired to perform the job/activity according to the JHA.
- Train workers in the procedures, controls, and PPE according to the JHA.
- Review the JHA periodically and update it when the job/activity or equipment changes. Revise as needed and retrain.
- Consult EHS to review JHAs as needed.
Please send completed JHAs to EHS so it can be added to the PSU JHA Library to help others do similar jobs safely.