Introduction

The job hazard analysis process is the heart of a proactive occupational safety and health program.
Properly applied, this process insures that safety and health of employees is fully considered during the
planning stages of a project of activity. Each potential hazard is considered; and procedures that will
insure that employees are not exposed to that hazard in a way that could cause harm are established and
implemented prior to beginning work on the project.
To be properly understood and implemented, the job hazard analysis should be viewed as a problemsolving process. The problem is defined in terms of hazards which may be encountered by employees
when they perform tasks involved in the project under consideration. The solution is a set of actions
which creates a safe work environment and establishes safe work procedures, and which is feasible and
implementable given the constraints and opportunities associated with that project.
A safe work environment and safe work procedures are essential outputs and integral to any project or
activity. They are as important as more commonly recognized outputs, such as contracts administered,
habitat enhanced, and plans produced, etc. Providing for a safe work environment and safe work
procedures requires similar planning activities as those which ensure the other project outputs are
accomplished and standards are met. Such activities include reconnaissance, obtaining input from
specialists and customers, cost projections, consideration of alternatives, and all the other problemsolving procedures that are central to our resource managmeent decision-making process.
This process provides the format for building safety into every project. Conducting and documenting a
job hazard analysis prior to beginning work on a project or research study has been a Forest Service
requirement for over 20 years. Properly understood and implemented, a job hazard analysis is a powerful
tool to insure that work is conducted safely. However, when it is not understood or properly
implemented, it is often treated as a meaningless bureaucratic requirement. In fact, many employees don't
even view a job hazard analysis as a process, but think of it as a form that has to be filled out!
The best job hazard analyses are those that are focused, complete, clearly documented, communicated to
employees, and implemented. The purpose of these guidelines is to help make that happen.

I.

GENERAL INFORMATION
A.

Purpose
The purpose of a job hazard analysis is to ensure potential hazards, related to a specific
project or activity, are anticipated and abated prior to beginning work. The job hazard
analysis is an invaluable tool for managers and supervisors to use in meeting their
obligation to prevent employee exposure to health and safety hazards. (Reference FSH
6709.11, Chapter 21.1)

B.

Process
Conducting a job hazard analysis involves two basic steps:
1.

2.

The work leader and crew members must identify each potential hazard which
might exist due to:
a.

the characteristics of the work site and the procedures; and/or

b.

tasks that are involved in that project; and

Determine what action(s) are taken to prevent exposure of employees to each

hazard.
During each of these steps, the person(s) conducting the analysis should gather
information from such resources as:

C.

his/her personal experience;

job-site reconnaissance;
input from imployees who will be working on the project;
people who have done similar work on other projects;
occupational safety and health specialists;
material safety data sheets (MSDS);
equipment manuals
equipment manufacturers' technical representatives;
health and safety handbooks;
existing health and safety plans and handbooks.

Facilitation
(Note: Using blank sheets of paper as worksheets can facilitate this process.)
1.

List all the tasks or activities that are involved in the project on the first sheet.

2.

On the next sheet, write down the first task and list the possible hazards
associated with that task. Then write down the second task., followed by a list of
possible hazards associated with that tas; and so on, until the hazards associated
with all the tasks are listed.

3.

On the third sheet, list each hazard, followed by a description of one or more
abatement actions for each hazard.)

4.

Select the abatement actions, or sets of actions, which will be implemented to

ensure employee safety during the project.

The information can then be transferred to the job hazard analysis documentation form,
FS-6700-7.

Work supervisors and crew members are responsible for developing and discussing field
emergency evacuation procedures and alternatives in the event a person(s) becomes
seriously ill or injured at the worksite. When the job hazard analysis is completed and
documented on form FS-6700-7, it must be reviewed and signed by the appropriate
agency administrator and shared with and signed by all of the employees who will be
doing the work.
D.

Application
A job hazard analysis should be conducted for each work project and activity. A common
misunderstanding is that job hazard analyses only need to be conducted for field activities
or other work that is commonly considered to be hazardous. This perception fails to
recognize that part of the purpose of the job hazard analysis process is to determine
whether hazards exist, through careful and regular examination of the location(s) and
procedures involved in the project. The assumption that some work does not have
potential for hazards to exist has led to unnecessary and costly injuries such as
cumulative trauma disorders, back injuries and electrical shock. If there is a project or
activity which truly has no potential for employees to be exposed to hazards, then the job
hazard analysis would demonstrate that is so.

E.

Implementation
Once the job hazard analysis has been conducted, abatement actions must be
implemented. This means that corrective actions are done, and employee training is
completed prior to commencement of related tasks; and it requires supervisors to inform
employees of the hazards and abatement actions, which were identified during the job
hazard analysis, when employees are assigned to those tasks.

F.

Scope
A job hazard analysis should cover any work which is done by forest employees.
Employees: in this case, means all full-time and part-time employees, volunteers, special
program enrollees (e.g. SCSEP, "Jobs Plus", Job Corps), and cooperators who are
working directly for the Forest Service.
(Note:A job hazard analysis does not address the work of a contractor, or the
contractor's employees; however, the job hazard analysis for a project/activity that
involves Forest Service employees working in an area affected by contract activities,
should address any hazards that such activities present for the Forest Service employees.
A job hazard analysis for a project that utilizes contracted work, would address the
inspection tasks of Forest Service contracting officials.)

G.

Timing
A job hazard analysis must be conducted, and documented, prior to work beginning on a
project. The analysis should be conducted during the project planning phase. This
insures two important benefits of the process:
1.

employees can be apprised of the hazards and required abatement actions, prior
to the potential exposure; and,

2.

needed worksite modifications, training, and/or supplies can be budgeted for and
obtained in a timely manner.

Job hazard analyses must be reviewed at least annually, and updated as needed to reflect
changes in the work and/or worksite conditions. The best time to do this review and
update is during the time that budget projections are developed. This ensures that safety
costs can be included in the overall cost of the project.
H.

Uses of a Job Hazard Analysis

The obvious use of a job hazard analysis is to insure that safety issures are identified and
resolved prior to beginning work on a project. The job hazard analysis can also support
other activities, including:

cost projections;
employee orientation;
training needs determination;
performance evaluation;
accident investigation

In some cases, the documented job hazard analysis will serve as a written safety plan
which will satisfy OSHA requirements.
What is a hazard?

Caught in or between
Exposure to/from
Contact with
Struck/hit by
Fall/roll from or onto
Slip or trip
Inhalation/absorption of
And, what if?

Categories
Chemical

Physical

Biologic

Ergonomic

Mist, Vapor

Noise, Vibration

Bacteria

Monotony

Gas, Smoke

Temperature,
Pressure

Virus

Physiological Stress

Dust, Aerosol

Illumination,
Electrical

Fungus

Psychological Stress

Fume

Radiation

Parasite

Metabolic Cycle

RISK ASSESSMENT MATRIX

A problem when you have a number of possible risks is to decide which ones are worthy of further
attention. The Risk Assessment Matrix is a simple graphical tool widely used in many professions world
wide to help prioritize risks.
There are two main dimensions to risk: (a) How likely it will occur (probability) and (b) The
impact/effect (severity) that it would have, should it occur. One familiar model of quantifying risk is to
assign a numeric value to these risks and to multiply these together. However, a problem with this
quantitative approach is that high-probability/low-impact risks get the same score as high-impact/lowprobability risks. The following Risk Assessment Matrix is a widely recognized and more effective
method to assess risk.
The Risk Assessment Matrix simply puts Probability (likelihood) and Severity (effect/impact) on two
sides of an x-y chart and then the risk are placed within this two-dimensional space (see chart below).
This gives several advantages:
High-probability/low-impact and high-impact/low-probability risks are differentiated.
You can visually compare risk, thus asking the question is this one more or less likely then that one?
This plays to the human cognitive preference for paired comparison rather than absolute evaluation.
Then the risks can be addressed from top right down to bottom left. High-probability/low-impact and
high-impact/low-probability risk of equal risk exposure score will tend to be evaluated at around the
same time.
The process can be done on the wall with flipchart-paper, on a paper or computer format, or in many
cases in your head.

Risk Assessment
Matrix
Catastrophic:
Fatal, life threatening or permanent disability

Major:

Severity
Effect/Impact

Severe injury or illness. Long term disability

and/or Lost time

Moderate:
Medical treatment-no permanent injury or
illness, and/or restricted duty

Minor:

First aid Minor cuts, bruises, or sickness. No lost

time/restricted duty

HAZARD PROB
Frequent

Likely

Po

I
II
III
IV

Extreme
(4)

High
(3)

Medium
(2)

Low (1)

Risk Tolerance Rating Criteria

Extreme - 4
Unacceptable:

High - 3
Intolerable:

Medium - 2
Tolerable:

Likely harm from an event must not be

accepted. Must be reduced with
administrative barriers of protection
and/or engineering controls. Eliminate or
avoid risk to ensure sufficient safeguards.

Should be reduced with

administrative and/or engineering
controls. Risk should not be
tolerated save in special/limited
circumstances.

Benefits beyond Decision-Making

Tolerable if further risk reduct

(cost, time, effort) would be gr
disproportionate to improveme
gained.

Figure 2

It is a common experience in performing a risk assessment that

the process of performing an assessment yields greater benefits
than the final risk results produced.
The much larger importance of the process arises from the
creative yet systematic thought process that is necessary to
produce risk estimates.
The process provides reassurance and a record that important
and reasonably practical step has been taken to anticipate what
might go wrong and what could be done to prevent it.
The risk assessment is not intended to give a clear-cut decision
about safety measures but aids in a more complex decision by paying attention to the benefits of
learning from the process.
The risk decision matrix is designed to be primarily used as a tool to aid in strategic plan development
(figure 2). It is not intended as another so-called checklist paper exercise for the tactical worker to fill
out and filed away. However, the basic principles used to evaluate risk should be kept in mind to
improve the reliability of risk informed tactical decisions. A copy of the risk matrix can be carried in
an IRPG to provide a visual reminder of the process/concept.

Hazard Analysis Methodologies

Hazards analysis can get pretty sophisticated and go into much detail. Where the potential
hazards are significant and the possibility for trouble is quite real, such detail may well be
essential. However, for many processes and operations both real and proposed a solid look
at the operation or plans by a variety of affected people may be sufficient. The easiest and
possibly most effective method is using the step-by-step process of the Job Hazard Analysis
(JHA). JHA, sometimes referred to as a Job Safety Analysis (JSA), is covered in good detail in the

Job Hazard Analysis, OSHA Publication 3071.

However, if you are faced with fairly sophisticated and complex risks with a reasonable
probability of disaster if things go wrong, you may want some help with some of the other
hazards analysis methodologies. What follows is a very brief look at the common ones. If you
decide to try one of the approaches, check with your local OSHA Consultation office or call an
engineering firm which specializes in hazards analysis.
WHAT - IF Checklist: The what - if checklist is a broadly-based hazard assessment technique
that combines the creative thinking of a selected team of specialists with the methodical focus of
a prepared checklist. The result is a comprehensive process hazards analysis that is extremely
useful in training operating personnel on the hazards of the particular operation.
The review team is selected to represent a wide range of disciplines production, mechanical,
technical, safety. The team is then provided with basic information on hazards of materials,
process technology, procedures, equipment design, instrumentation control, incident experience,
previous hazard reviews, and so on. A field tour of the process is also conducted at this time,
assuming the process is in operation.
The review team methodically examines the process from receipt of raw materials to delivery of
the finished product to the customer's site. At each step the group collectively generates a
listing of what - if questions regarding the hazards and safety of the operation. When the review
team has completed listing its spontaneously-generated questions, it systematically goes through
a prepared checklist to stimulate additional questions.
Subsequently, answers are developed for each question. The review team then works to achieve
a consensus on each question and answer. From these answers, a listing of recommendations is
developed specifying the need for additional action or study. The recommendations, along with
the list of questions and answers, become the key elements of the hazard assessment report.
Hazard and Operability Study (HAZOP): HAZOP is a formally structured method of
systematically investigating each element of a system for all of the ways in which important
parameters can deviate from the intended design conditions to create hazards and operability
problems. The hazard and operability problems are typically determined by a study of the piping
and instrument diagrams (or plant model) by a team of personnel who critically analyze the
effects of potential problems arising in each pipeline and each vessel of the operation.
Pertinent parameters are selected for example, flow, temperature, pressure, and time. Then
the effect of deviations from design conditions of each parameter is examined. A list of key
words such as more of, less of, none of, part of, are selected for use in describing each potential
deviation.
The system is evaluated as designed and with deviations noted. All causes of failure are
identified. Existing safeguards and protection are identified. An assessment is made weighing
the consequences, causes, and protection requirements involved.
Failure Mode and Effect Analysis (FMEA): The failure mode and effect analysis is a
methodical study of component failures. This review starts with a diagram of the process that
includes all components which could fail and conceivably affect the safety of the process. Typical
examples are instrument transmitters, controllers, valves, pumps, and rotometers. These
components are listed on a data tabulation sheet and individually analyzed for the following:
Potential mode of failure ... open, closed, on, off, leaks, etc..
Consequence of the failure.

Effect on other components.

Effect on whole system.

Hazards class ... high, moderate, low.

Probability of failure.
Detection methods.
Compensating provision/remarks.
Multiple concurrent failures are also included in the analysis. The last step is analysis of the data
for each component or multiple component failure and development of a series of
recommendations appropriate to risk management.
Fault Tree Analysis:
A fault tree analysis is a quantitative assessment of all of the undesirable outcomes, such as a
toxic gas release or explosion, which could result from a specific initiating event. It begins with a
graphic representation (using logic symbols) of all possible sequences of events that could result
in an incident. The resulting diagram looks like a tree with many branches each branch listing
the sequential events (failures) for different independent paths to the top event. Probabilities
(using failure rate data) are assigned to each event and then used to calculate the probability of
occurrence of the undesired event. A simple example of a fault tree analysis chart is shown
below.

This technique is particularly useful in evaluating the effect of alternative actions on reducing the
probability of occurrence of the undesired event.

Other Hazard Evaluation Procedures:

Additional information on the hazard evaluation procedures outlined above and descriptions of
other hazard evaluation procedures, as well as information concerning the selection of an
appropriate procedure, are contained in Guidelines for Hazard Evaluation Procedures,
prepared by The Center for Chemical Process Safety of the American Institute of Chemical
Engineers.
Routine Hazard Analysis:
Even simple processes are complex they are impacted by human behavior, workplace
variables, other business and natural forces, raw material variables, normal wear and tear, and
more.
It's a given jobs once designed for safety may now have hazards or improper operations.
The hazards analysis process called a Job Hazards Analysis (JHA) or Job Safety Analysis (JSA)
pulls processes back on the safety track periodically.
Done for every job, a JHA or JSA ensures safe steps, teaches new workers, eliminates or controls
hazardous materials, and much more.
Some companies have work teams complete JHAs or JSA on every job or process and then
use them as the guide for how to do the job

The Four States

Larry Wilson, SafeStart

Four states typically contribute to injuries:

Rushing
Frustration
Fatigue
Complacency
These four states then cause or contribute to the following critical errors that can increase
the risk of injury:

Eyes not on task

Mind not on task
In the line of fire of potential injuries
Loss of balance, traction or grip