5 Tips to Help Improve Your Business’s Safety by Performing a Job Safety Analysis

A job safety analysis (JSA) is a systematic way to help improve safety at your facility or job site. You can find a JSA form on our website to help with this process. We’ve listed the basic steps below:

1. Identify tasks. If you're not familiar with JSAs, it's best to start with something simple. After you have completed a few simple JSAs, prioritize based on which tasks have more potential for injury.

2. List the task steps. In this section, you want to be thorough without being too detailed. The key is to start with the basic steps. For example, if you were going to do a JSA on changing a light bulb, you could include these steps:
   1. Get ladder from storage
   2. Set up ladder
   3. Climb ladder
   4. Remove old bulb
   5. Install new bulb
   6. Climb down ladder
   7. Put ladder away
   8. Dispose of old bulb

You can leave out little steps like unlocking the storage closet to get the ladder and taking the bulb out of the packaging assuming there is low risk of incident. However, if the bulb packaging requires the use of a knife, you may decide to keep that step.

3. Analyze what could go wrong. Mixing imagination with a little reality is important here. It’s a good idea to review past accident information. An example of what you should list is “Worker falls from ladder while climbing.” You shouldn’t include improbable things like “A tornado could hit the building while climbing the ladder.” Yes, it’s possible, but it’s very unlikely. 

4. Determine safe work practices. You may already have informal safety procedures in place. Find out what people are doing, determine if it’s the best way, and write it down. If there are no procedures, talk with the people who perform the task, read the operator manuals, or consult with your Acuity Loss Control Representative.

5. Decide if PPE should be used. PPE can help prevent injuries and illnesses if it matches the exposures. By indicating what PPE to wear on your JSA form, you take the guess work out of the process. Your employees will know they should wear a face shield AND safety glasses when grinding, and they will know which pair of gloves to wear when handling a specific chemical.

If you would like assistance on any of the JSA steps, you can reach out to your Acuity Loss Control Representative.