Employees are sometimes asked to perform certain hazardous tasks. These tasks, like trenching, confined-space entry, lockout/tagout and others involve putting our safety at risk if we are not performing the tasks in the safest possible manner.
We all know the risks, but have you ever taken a step back and looked at your work tasks and wondered if there was a safer way of performing your tasks? Asking the “What if?” questions that can provide you with the knowledge you need to become aware of a potential hazard on the job site can save you from a needless injury.
This is essentially a job hazard analysis. It helps you take that step back and analyze what you are doing and provide you with the knowledge you need to work safely. By identifying and then mitigating hazards or potential hazards you are significantly reducing your risk of injury. It also provides a great opportunity to increase your overall safety program at work.
The employees who perform these hazardous job tasks are the perfect people to perform a job hazard analysis as their insights and knowledge are key to identifying the hazards others might miss or not recognize as hazards.
What are the steps in performing a job hazard analysis? The good news is that you can go online and simply type in job hazard analysis in the search engine and you should be able to find basic forms you can use. You can also customize them to your needs. It is vitally important that you document this procedure so that you have documentation to review in the future. This will come in handy when training new employees as well. This can also be a morale booster because employees will see that their safety is taken seriously.
Step one begins when you identify the task to be analyzed. Whether it is heavy-equipment operation or conducting a line break repair, you can then begin your analysis. Take a step-by-step approach to identifying potential hazards. You can also review past incidents and lessons learned from these incidents. Near misses involving these tasks are great to learn from, too. Sometimes, procedures can become outdated, and this is an opportunity to identify those procedures and improve them.
Next, break down the task step by step to ensure each step is properly accounted for and analyzed. This is where the job hazard analysis form will come in handy. Writing down the steps of the task and then writing down the hazards or potential hazards will not only provide documentation, but it also eliminates the memory loss that might occur over time if it is not documented. You can also video or take photos of the employee performing their task and review it together to ensure that the task was performed properly and all hazards are identified.
Once hazards are identified, decide what control measures are required to protect the employees from injury. Who does this hazard affect? What is the root cause of this hazard? Where does the hazard occur in the process of the job task? Sometimes it is how the task is being performed. Is the employee following proper safety protocols? Has the employee had proper training? Sometimes it might be outdated equipment or a procedure. It could also be where the task is being performed like near a roadway or under power lines. This is part of the process in identifying hazards or potential hazards. This is where OSHA’s Hierarchy of Controls can be very helpful.
Once you have identified the most effective control measures your next step is to implement the control measures. This is where documenting the process comes into play as you can share this information with your colleagues and help them maintain a safe working environment as well. You should also seek to continually improve the process to determine the control measures you’ve implemented are still working.
OSHA regards using job hazard analysis as an important part of a workplace safety program. OSHA’s website has some great information to help you get started. Making our workplaces as safe as possible and incorporating employee input is a great way to keep employee morale at a high level.
Ronnie Freeman is safety director for Mount Pleasant (South Carolina) Waterworks and Safety Committee chair for the Water Environmental Association of South Carolina.
