Risk Assessment and Job Hazard Analysis (JHA/JSA) Procedure for Workplace Tasks

Assessment Date: [DATE]

Assessor: [ASSESSOR NAME]

Department/Area: [DEPARTMENT/AREA]

Review Date: [REVIEW DATE]

1. Assessment Scope

This assessment applies to routine and non-routine workplace tasks performed by employees, contractors, and supervised temporary workers where hazards must be identified, evaluated, and controlled before work begins. It covers task-based hazard identification, risk evaluation, selection of controls using the hierarchy of controls, PPE determination, safe work procedures, residual risk review, and documentation practices needed to support OSHA-style safety records and PPE hazard assessment requirements. The scope includes normal operations, setup, operation, cleaning, inspection, maintenance, troubleshooting, and shutdown activities where task steps can expose workers to injury or illness. It excludes detailed engineering design reviews, medical surveillance programs, and site-specific permit systems unless those systems are part of the task being analyzed. The assessment is intended to be a living document that is reviewed with the crew before work starts and updated when conditions, equipment, methods, or hazards change.

2. Risk Assessment Methodology

A task-based Job Hazard Analysis methodology is used. The job is broken into discrete steps, hazards are identified for each step, and the likelihood and severity of harm are evaluated using a 5x5 risk matrix with the required scales: likelihood levels of Rare, Unlikely, Possible, Likely, and Almost Certain; severity levels of Negligible, Minor, Moderate, Major, and Catastrophic. Controls are selected using the hierarchy of controls in order of preference: elimination, substitution, engineering controls, administrative controls, and PPE. The assessment emphasizes employee involvement, review of actual work practices, consideration of environmental and operational conditions, and documentation of PPE needs and control measures. The JHA is treated as a living document and is re-briefed when work conditions change. [2] [1] [5]

3. Risk Matrix Reference

The following matrix is used to evaluate risk levels based on likelihood and severity:

		Likelihood
Rare	Unlikely	Possible	Likely	Almost Certain
Severity	Catastrophic	Low	Low	Low	Low	Low
Major	Low	Low	Low	Medium	Medium
Moderate	Low	Low	Medium	High	High
Minor	Low	Medium	High	High	Extreme
Negligible	Medium	High	High	Extreme	Extreme

4. Hazard Identification and Risk Evaluation

1. Slips, trips, and falls on the same level caused by wet floors, cluttered walkways, uneven surfaces, poor housekeeping, or obstructed access routes during task setup and movement.

Potential Consequences: Workers may suffer sprains, strains, fractures, head injuries, or secondary injuries from striking nearby objects. Falls can also interrupt work and create additional exposure to equipment or traffic hazards.

Affected Persons: Employees performing the task, nearby workers, visitors, and contractors moving through the work area.

Initial Risk Assessment

Likelihood	Severity	Risk Rating
Possible	Moderate	High

Control Measures

• Eliminate unnecessary walking routes and remove avoidable obstructions before work begins.
• Substitute safer access methods or staging locations that reduce travel through hazardous areas.
• Install engineering controls such as anti-slip flooring, drainage improvements, cable management, and physical barriers around wet or congested areas.
• Use administrative controls including housekeeping standards, pre-job area inspections, designated walkways, and immediate spill cleanup procedures.
• Require slip-resistant footwear and task-appropriate PPE where residual exposure remains.

Residual Risk Assessment

Likelihood	Severity	Risk Rating
Unlikely	Minor	Low

2. Struck-by hazards from moving vehicles, forklifts, carts, cranes, or swinging loads in shared work areas.

Potential Consequences: A worker may be struck, pinned, or crushed, resulting in serious trauma, fractures, internal injuries, or fatality. Property damage and secondary incidents may also occur.

Affected Persons: Operators, spotters, pedestrians, visitors, and workers loading or unloading materials.

Initial Risk Assessment

Likelihood	Severity	Risk Rating
Possible	Major	High

Control Measures

• Eliminate pedestrian exposure by separating work from vehicle routes where feasible.
• Substitute manual handling with mechanized or remote handling methods that reduce proximity to moving equipment.
• Use engineering controls such as physical barriers, marked exclusion zones, mirrors, alarms, and traffic separation systems.
• Apply administrative controls including traffic plans, trained spotters, speed limits, right-of-way rules, and communication protocols.
• Use high-visibility PPE and any additional PPE required by the specific task and site conditions.

Residual Risk Assessment

Likelihood	Severity	Risk Rating
Unlikely	Moderate	Medium

3. Cuts, punctures, and lacerations from hand tools, sharp edges, blades, burrs, broken materials, or contact with moving parts during cutting, trimming, or assembly tasks.

Potential Consequences: Injuries may range from minor cuts to deep lacerations, tendon damage, infection, and lost work time. Severe cases may require emergency treatment or surgery.

Affected Persons: Employees using tools, assisting workers, and anyone handling materials after cutting or fabrication.

Initial Risk Assessment

Likelihood	Severity	Risk Rating
Likely	Moderate	High

Control Measures

• Eliminate sharp-edge exposure by redesigning the task or pre-processing materials offsite when possible.
• Substitute safer tools or pre-cut materials that reduce manual cutting.
• Use engineering controls such as guards, tool rests, blade covers, and secure workholding devices.
• Implement administrative controls including tool inspection, correct tool selection, safe cutting techniques, and training on hand placement and material handling.
• Require cut-resistant gloves and eye protection where the hazard cannot be fully eliminated.

Residual Risk Assessment

Likelihood	Severity	Risk Rating
Unlikely	Minor	Low

4. Electrical shock, arc flash, or burns from energized equipment, damaged cords, improper isolation, or contact with live parts during inspection, maintenance, or troubleshooting.

Potential Consequences: Potential outcomes include shock, burns, cardiac arrest, arc flash injuries, fire, and fatality. Secondary falls may occur after an electrical contact event.

Affected Persons: Qualified electrical workers, maintenance personnel, nearby employees, and anyone exposed to energized equipment.

Initial Risk Assessment

Likelihood	Severity	Risk Rating
Possible	Catastrophic	Extreme

Control Measures

• Eliminate exposure by de-energizing equipment before work whenever possible.
• Substitute lower-voltage or battery-powered tools where appropriate.
• Use engineering controls such as guarding, insulated equipment, ground-fault protection, and lockable disconnects.
• Apply administrative controls including lockout/tagout, energized work authorization, verification of absence of voltage, and qualified-person-only access.
• Use arc-rated and electrically rated PPE, insulated gloves, face protection, and protective footwear as required by the task.

Residual Risk Assessment

Likelihood	Severity	Risk Rating
Unlikely	Major	High

5. Exposure to hazardous chemicals, including splashes, vapors, mists, or skin contact during mixing, transfer, cleaning, or maintenance activities.

Potential Consequences: Workers may experience burns, dermatitis, respiratory irritation, poisoning, eye injury, or long-term health effects. Spills may also create fire or environmental release hazards.

Affected Persons: Employees handling chemicals, nearby workers, custodial staff, and emergency responders.

Initial Risk Assessment

Likelihood	Severity	Risk Rating
Possible	Major	High

Control Measures

• Eliminate unnecessary chemical use and remove obsolete or incompatible products from the work area.
• Substitute less hazardous chemicals or ready-to-use products where feasible.
• Use engineering controls such as closed transfer systems, local exhaust ventilation, splash guards, and secondary containment.
• Implement administrative controls including SDS review, labeling, compatibility checks, spill procedures, and restricted access during chemical handling.
• Require chemical-resistant gloves, eye and face protection, protective clothing, and respiratory protection when engineering controls do not adequately control exposure.

Residual Risk Assessment

Likelihood	Severity	Risk Rating
Unlikely	Moderate	Medium

6. Exposure to airborne dust, fumes, or other respiratory contaminants generated by cutting, grinding, sweeping, demolition, or process emissions.

Potential Consequences: Potential effects include eye and throat irritation, asthma aggravation, reduced visibility, respiratory illness, and in severe cases toxic exposure or oxygen deficiency depending on the contaminant.

Affected Persons: Workers performing the task, nearby employees, and others in the same airspace.

Initial Risk Assessment

Likelihood	Severity	Risk Rating
Likely	Moderate	High

Control Measures

• Eliminate dust-generating methods where possible by using pre-fabricated materials or alternative processes.
• Substitute wet methods or low-dust processes for dry methods.
• Use engineering controls such as local exhaust ventilation, dust collection, and isolation of the source.
• Apply administrative controls including exposure assessment, housekeeping methods that avoid dry sweeping, and restricted access during dusty work.
• Use respiratory protection only when needed after higher-level controls are in place, along with eye protection and other task-specific PPE.

Residual Risk Assessment

Likelihood	Severity	Risk Rating
Unlikely	Minor	Low

7. Ergonomic strain from repetitive motion, awkward postures, forceful exertion, manual lifting, pushing, pulling, or sustained static positions.

Potential Consequences: Workers may develop strains, sprains, musculoskeletal disorders, fatigue, reduced productivity, and cumulative trauma injuries.

Affected Persons: Employees performing repetitive or physically demanding tasks, especially those working alone or for extended periods.

Initial Risk Assessment

Likelihood	Severity	Risk Rating
Likely	Moderate	High

Control Measures

• Eliminate unnecessary manual handling by redesigning the task or automating repetitive steps.
• Substitute lighter materials, mechanical aids, or improved workstation layouts.
• Use engineering controls such as lift assists, carts, adjustable work surfaces, and tool balancers.
• Implement administrative controls including job rotation, work-rest cycles, training on lifting technique, and early reporting of discomfort.
• Provide task-appropriate gloves or other PPE only as a supplementary measure, not as the primary control.

Residual Risk Assessment

Likelihood	Severity	Risk Rating
Possible	Minor	Medium

8. Working at height from ladders, platforms, roofs, or elevated surfaces, including falls from unprotected edges or improper access equipment use.

Potential Consequences: Falls may cause fractures, spinal injury, traumatic brain injury, or fatality. Dropped objects may also injure people below.

Affected Persons: Workers at height, workers below the work area, and nearby visitors or contractors.

Initial Risk Assessment

Likelihood	Severity	Risk Rating
Possible	Catastrophic	Extreme

Control Measures

• Eliminate work at height by completing tasks from the ground whenever possible.
• Substitute safer access equipment such as an elevating work platform instead of a ladder when appropriate.
• Use engineering controls including guardrails, toe boards, anchor points, and fall arrest or restraint systems where required.
• Apply administrative controls such as fall protection planning, ladder inspection, exclusion zones below overhead work, and competent supervision.
• Require fall protection PPE and head protection where exposure remains after higher-level controls are applied.

Residual Risk Assessment

Likelihood	Severity	Risk Rating
Unlikely	Major	High

5. General Control Measures

• Conduct a pre-job briefing before work starts and whenever conditions change.

Review the task steps, hazards, controls, PPE, emergency actions, and any site-specific hazards not already captured in the JHA. Treat the JHA as a living document and update it when conditions change. [1] [1]

• Involve employees who perform the work in hazard identification and control selection.

Use frontline worker knowledge to identify task steps, hidden hazards, practical controls, and variations in the job that may not be obvious during observation. [1] [5]

• Apply the hierarchy of controls before relying on PPE.

Prioritize elimination, substitution, engineering controls, and administrative controls. Use PPE as the last line of defense or as a supplementary control when residual risk remains. [2] [6]

• Document the hazard assessment and PPE requirements.

Maintain written or electronic records that identify the task, hazards, controls, and required PPE so that safety personnel can access the information and verify implementation. [1] [4]

• Inspect tools, equipment, and work areas before use.

Verify that guards, safety devices, access equipment, cords, and PPE are in safe condition and appropriate for the task. Remove defective equipment from service immediately. [3] [1]

6. Emergency Preparedness

• Establish task-specific emergency response actions for falls, electrical incidents, chemical exposure, struck-by events, and severe cuts or crush injuries. Ensure workers know how to stop work, isolate the area, summon help, and provide first aid within their training limits.
• Maintain readily available emergency equipment appropriate to the task, such as spill kits, eyewash access, first aid supplies, fire extinguishers, rescue equipment for work at height, and communication devices for summoning emergency services.
• For work at height, pre-plan rescue procedures so a suspended or injured worker can be reached quickly without exposing rescuers to additional fall hazards.
• For chemical tasks, ensure spill containment, decontamination steps, and SDS access are available before work begins. Evacuate or isolate the area if a release cannot be controlled safely.
• For electrical work, de-energize equipment, verify isolation, and prohibit unqualified rescue attempts on energized systems. Treat all electrical incidents as potentially life-threatening until evaluated by qualified responders.

7. Training Requirements

• JHA/JSA Awareness and Task Briefing: Train workers to participate in the job hazard analysis process, understand task steps, recognize changing conditions, and stop work when hazards are not controlled. Training should emphasize that the JHA is reviewed before work begins and updated when conditions change.
  • How to break a task into steps
  • How to identify hazards and precursors
  • How to report new hazards or near misses
• Hierarchy of Controls: Train employees and supervisors to select controls in the correct order of preference, starting with elimination and substitution and using PPE only after higher-level controls have been considered and implemented where feasible.
  • Elimination and substitution examples
  • Engineering versus administrative controls
  • Why PPE is the last line of defense
• PPE Selection, Use, and Limitations: Train workers on the correct PPE for the hazards present, how to inspect PPE before use, how to wear it properly, and when it must be replaced. Training should also explain that PPE must match the hazard and fit the worker correctly.
  • Eye and face protection
  • Hand protection
  • Head protection
  • Fall protection
  • Respiratory protection where required
• Equipment Safety and Safe Work Procedures: Train workers on safe operation of tools, machinery, access equipment, and energy-isolation procedures relevant to the task. Include guarding, lockout/tagout, ladder safety, and correct tool selection.
  • Pre-use inspections
  • Defective equipment removal
  • Safe setup and shutdown
• Emergency Response and First Aid: Train workers on emergency reporting, evacuation routes, spill response, fall rescue awareness, and basic first aid/CPR as appropriate to the site risk profile. Workers should know when to call emergency services and when not to attempt a rescue beyond their training.
  • Incident notification
  • Area isolation
  • Use of emergency equipment

8. Monitoring and Review

Review Frequency: Annually, and immediately after any incident, near miss, task change, equipment change, or significant change in work conditions.

Monitoring Type	Frequency	Responsible Party	Description
Regular Inspection	Before each job and during the task when conditions change	Supervisor or competent lead worker	Inspect the work area, tools, equipment, access routes, and PPE to confirm that hazards identified in the JHA remain controlled and that no new hazards have appeared.
Behavioral Observation	Weekly or during high-risk tasks	Supervisors and safety personnel	Observe work practices to verify that employees are following safe procedures, using controls correctly, and not bypassing guards, isolation steps, or PPE requirements.
Formal JHA Review	Annually and after incidents, near misses, or process changes	Safety manager with affected supervisors and employees	Review the JHA for accuracy, update hazard ratings and controls, and confirm that the document reflects current equipment, methods, and site conditions.
PPE Compliance and Condition Check	Monthly and before issue/replacement	Supervisors, stores personnel, or safety staff	Verify that required PPE is available, correctly selected, properly fitted, and maintained in safe condition. Remove damaged or expired PPE from service.
Corrective Action Tracking	Ongoing, with status review at least monthly	Management and safety committee or designated coordinator	Track hazard corrections, training completion, equipment repairs, and open action items until closure to ensure controls remain effective.

9. Special Circumstances

• Weather conditions such as rain, ice, heat, wind, lightning, or poor visibility can increase slip, fall, struck-by, heat stress, and access hazards. Work plans should be adjusted or suspended when conditions exceed safe limits.
• Night work or low-light conditions increase the likelihood of trips, vehicle conflicts, and communication errors. Additional lighting, supervision, and traffic controls may be required.
• Lone work increases the severity of many hazards because emergency response may be delayed. Use check-in procedures, communication devices, and task restrictions for higher-risk activities.
• Non-routine, infrequently performed, or modified tasks may present unfamiliar hazards and require a fresh JHA review before work begins.
• Permit-required work such as confined space, hot work, or energized electrical work requires additional controls, authorization, and emergency planning beyond the baseline JHA.

Approval and Sign-off

This risk assessment has been reviewed and approved by:

Assessor: _________________________ Date: __________

Manager/Supervisor: _________________________ Date: __________

Safety Representative: _________________________ Date: __________

This risk assessment must be reviewed annually, and immediately after any incident, near miss, task change, equipment change, or significant change in work conditions. or when significant changes occur.

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