Job Hazard Analysis Template

What is a job hazard analysis?

A job hazard analysis is a structured way of examining how a job is done so you can find the hazards in it before they cause harm. Rather than looking at a workplace in general, you work through the job itself: you list every step of the work process in the order it is performed, identify the hazards associated with each step, and set out what could happen if those hazards are not addressed. From there, you record the preventive measures and controls that reduce, control or eliminate each hazard, together with the justification or comment supporting the recommended action. The result is a practical record of how a specific job should be carried out safely. This template is an OSHA job hazard analysis form converted for use as a guide or planning record for job safety. It captures the details that make the assessment traceable — when it was conducted, who prepared it, the location and the job title — alongside the task-by-task analysis itself.

What a job hazard analysis covers

A complete assessment follows the work as it is actually performed. The template is built around the task, and each task entry captures: - **Task description** — the job or step being assessed. - **Hazard type** and **hazard description** — what the hazard is and how it arises in the step. - **Consequences** — the potential consequences or negative outcomes if the hazard is not addressed. - **Hazard control** — the preventive measures and controls that reduce, control or eliminate the hazard. - **Justification / comment** — the reasoning that supports the recommended action. In practice you list every step of the work process in the order it is performed, then work through these fields for each step. The record as a whole also captures the date the assessment was conducted, who prepared it, the location, the job title, a signature, the time it was finished, and the real start and end dates of the work.

Why job hazard analysis matters

A job hazard analysis matters because it turns an informal understanding of a job into an explicit, documented one. By identifying the hazards associated with each step and describing the potential consequences of leaving them unaddressed, you make the risk visible and give yourself a clear basis for deciding what controls are needed and why. It also supports better plans of action. Recording the hazard control and the justification or comment alongside it means the reasoning behind each recommendation is captured, so the assessment can be used to argue for and support the improvements it identifies. Job safety analyses compiled from this kind of record help you monitor how safety is actually being managed on the job.

How to carry out the analysis

Work through the job in the order it happens, and keep each step tied to its hazards and controls. 1. Record the basic details: when the assessment was conducted, who prepared it, the location and the job title. 2. List every step of the work process in the order it is performed. 3. For each step, identify the hazards associated with it, noting the hazard type and describing the hazard. 4. Describe the potential consequences or negative outcomes if the hazard is not addressed. 5. Record the preventive measures and controls that reduce, control or eliminate the hazard. 6. State the justification or comment supporting the recommended action. 7. Sign off and complete the record: the time finished and the real start and end dates of the work. > An OSHA job hazard analysis form converted for use as a guide or planning record for job safety. The structured sections of the template — Job Hazard Analysis, Task, hazards and controls, and Task — follow this sequence, and the fifteen fields guide you through the details of the job and of the record itself.

Frequently Asked Questions

In a job hazard analysis, you break a job down into the steps required to perform it, identify the hazards associated with each step, describe the potential consequences if those hazards are not addressed, and then record the preventive measures and controls that reduce, control or eliminate them. You should also state the justification or comment that supports the recommended control so it is clear why each action was chosen.

The job hazard analysis template is designed to be completed by the person preparing the assessment and signed off at the end. It captures when it was conducted, who prepared it, the location and the job title so the assessment is linked to a specific job and can later be retrieved as a record.

A job hazard analysis matters because it requires you to identify the hazards linked to each step of a task and to describe what could go wrong if they are not addressed. By then recording the controls that reduce, control or eliminate those hazards, you create a documented basis for safer work practices and for the actions needed to improve them.

The template is used as a guide or planning record for job safety. Once you have recorded each task step, its hazards, consequences and controls, you can use the assessment to compile job safety analyses and monitor how well the recommended actions are implemented.

The template records the date the assessment was conducted, the location, the job title, the date the work actually started and ended, and the time it was finished. Depending on the task, the record may also include the job title of the person covered, a signature and the date the inspection was completed, so you can trace the assessment back to a specific job and period of work.

The main section of the template is structured around the task. You list every step of the work process in the order it is performed, identify the hazard associated with each step by type and description, describe the consequences or negative outcomes if the hazard is not addressed, record the hazard control, and state the justification or comment supporting the recommended action.

Written by

Arne Reis

Founder

Process optimizer with 25 years of expertise, focused on operational excellence in quality, maintenance, EHS, and commissioning. Emphasizes innovative solutions and top-quality standards.

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