How to do a Job Hazard Analysis (JHA)

A Job Hazard Analysis (JHA) — also called a Job Safety Analysis (JSA) — is one of the most useful things a safety program can do. It breaks a task into steps, finds the hazard in each step, and fixes it before someone is hurt. It's core to OSHA's general duty expectations and to ISO 45001 risk planning. Here's how to run one properly.

What is a JHA (vs a risk assessment)?

A JHA focuses on a specific job or task — "change a grinding wheel," "enter a confined space," "unload a delivery." A broader risk assessment looks at an area, process or whole activity. The JHA is the close-up; the risk assessment is the wide shot. The method below works for both.

Step 1 — Select the job to analyze

Prioritize jobs that are high-risk or high-consequence (height, energized work, confined space), frequently performed (small risks add up), new or recently changed, or linked to past incidents and near-misses.

Step 2 — Break the job into steps

Watch the job being done and list the basic steps in order. Keep them at the right grain — not "do the job" (too broad) and not every hand movement (too fine). Involving the worker who actually does the task makes this far more accurate.

Step 3 — Identify the hazards in each step

For every step, ask "what could cause harm here?" Use hazard categories so you don't miss any:

• Mechanical — moving parts, pinch points, sharp edges;
• Energy — electrical, hydraulic, pneumatic, stored energy (think LOTO);
• Gravity — falls from height, falling objects;
• Chemical — exposure, splash, vapors (check the SDS);
• Physical — noise, heat/cold, vibration, radiation;
• Ergonomic — manual handling, repetition, awkward posture;
• Environmental/other — spills, biological, psychosocial.

Step 4 — Assess the risk

Rate each hazard so you can prioritize. The common method is a 5×5 matrix: score likelihood (1–5) × severity (1–5). A score of 20–25 is intolerable and needs action now; low scores may be acceptable with existing controls. This is exactly what an ISO 45001 auditor expects to see.

Step 5 — Add controls (use the hierarchy)

Don't jump straight to "wear PPE." Work down the hierarchy of controls, most effective first:

1. Eliminate — remove the hazard (do the work at ground level instead of at height).
2. Substitute — use a less hazardous material or method.
3. Engineering controls — guards, ventilation, interlocks.
4. Administrative controls — procedures, permits, training, rotation.
5. PPE — the last line of defense, not the first.

Worked example — changing a grinding wheel

Step 6 — Review, communicate and keep it alive

Have a competent person review the JHA, then train the crew on it and keep it at the worksite. Revisit it whenever the job, equipment or materials change — and always after an incident. A JHA used in the pre-job toolbox talk saves people; one in a binder no one reads is worthless.

Build your JHA now — free

Skip the blank spreadsheet. These free, no-signup tools do the heavy lifting in your browser:

• JHA & PPE assessment generator — build the analysis step by step with a matching PPE recommendation.
• Risk assessment (5×5 matrix) with hazard libraries for 12 industries.
• Permit to work for hot work, confined space, height and LOTO.
• SDS/chemical risk analyzer when a step involves chemicals.

JHA FAQ

JHA or JSA — what's the difference?
None, really. "Job Hazard Analysis" (OSHA's term) and "Job Safety Analysis" describe the same method.

Who should do the JHA?
Ideally the supervisor and the worker who performs the task, together.

How often should a JHA be updated?
Whenever the task, tools, materials or environment change, after any incident or near-miss, and on a periodic review cycle for high-risk jobs.

This guide and the generated documents are professional starting points; adapt them to your site and consult a competent person for high-risk work.

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