In the United States, a worker gets injured on the job every seven seconds. This equals to 12,900 injuries every day. In 2015, 150 workers died each day from hazardous working conditions.
OSHA defines stringent workplace responsibilities that all employers in the country must abide by. Failure to comply with OSHA standards can result in hefty fines or even a criminal conviction if an employee dies.
One sure way to avoid these hefty fines or criminal offenses is by scheduling a job hazard analysis regularly. A job hazard analysis is a method of identifying potential hazards in the workplace before they occur. It engenders analyzing the relationship between the worker, working environment, tools other workers, and the task itself.
Due to the unique workplace demands and arrangements, the results of one job hazard analysis may not be the same as that of another. That’s why the hazard controls for a particular work environment may do nothing for another.
In this post, we’ll be looking at why a job hazard analysis is so beneficial for both employers and employees.
Importance of Job Hazard Analysis for Your Business
Some people refer to a job hazard analysis or JHA as a pre-task analysis or a Field-Level Risk Assessment. All of these terms denote the same technique of identifying potential hazards on the job.
Here are a few benefits of a job hazard analysis.
1. Improves Workplace Communication
A JHA is usually a collaborative effort between employees from various levels. The supervisors and safety personnel will first work together to outline the JHA process. The supervisors will then communicate the entire process to their respective employees.
Employees can give comments and ask any questions regarding the JHA. During this step, employees and supervisors can discuss how best to carry out the entire exercise. Employees can openly share their suggestions and remarks about safety in the workplace.
This open sharing enhances general communication within the work environment and ensures the success of the entire process.
2. Eliminates Hazards and Prevents Accidents
The greatest benefit of a JHA is that it removes all hazards from the workplace and decreases the probability of accidents. Remember, preventing accidents isn’t just for the sake of your employees, but for your business too. Businesses have crumbled because of workplace-related accidents; you don’t want to be among the bunch.
A job hazard analysis is a huge step in preventing these workplace-related hazards. So for the sake of your employees and business, arrange a job hazard analysis ASAP.
3. Meet OSHA Safety Standards
A JHA ensures that your company complies with all OSHA standards and avoid any future violations. Doing so ensures that you fully protect your company from financial and legal penalties. A comprehensive JHA ensures you meet the following OSHA standards:-
- Machinery Guarding
- Fall Protection
- Wiring, electrical components, and equipment
- Respiratory and breathing protection
These are just a few of the OSHA standards that a JHA helps you comply with. All in all, a complete JHA leaves no stone unturned when it comes to OSHA standards compliance.
4. Protects Your Employees
Any good employer prioritizes the health and safety of their workers above profits. That’s because employees are the backbone of any company.
A proper JHA ensures that you protect the safety and health of all your workers. That way, they can work at their optimum and keep the company running. Plus, it’s actually illegal to ignore your workers’ physical wellbeing in the workplace.
5. Streamlines Your Recruitment and Orientation Process
Your employees are the heart and soul of your business. That’s why you probably only recruit the best talents to work in your company. Unfortunately, sometimes even the most skilled and qualified employees take a bit of time before they adjust to the work culture and routine.
In fact, employees are three times more likely to get into an accident at work during their first month at the job. Even with a few training sessions, new employees are still prone to making a few blunders.
The JHA forms help speed up the orientation process and make the workers seamlessly transition into the company. The forms are excellent teaching aids for recruits as they contain a step-by-step breakdown of the protocol for each job. It also prevents any rookie mistakes that could result in injuries or fatalities.
6. Ensures Consistency With Work Routines
Remember, a JHA entails breaking down the steps of a particular job stepwise. This ensures consistency in work routines across all determines. It thus engenders uniformity in the workplace and increased productivity and efficiency.
Apart from ensuring consistency with these work methods, a JHA ensures that these methods are safe. The JHA forms also make the supervisors’ work much easier.
What Is a JHA Review?
After conducting a JHA, you must review it periodically, at least once every year. Doing so ensures that the hazard controls and work methods remain current and adaptable to change. Sometimes, there might have been something you missed on the previous JHA that you can get on the JHA review.
You should arrange a JHA review immediately after a work-related injury occurs. The JHA review should address the cause of the incidence and prevent it from ever happening again. This review involves a detailed investigation into the cause of the accident.
At the end of the review, you should reach a consensus on what should be changed to make the job much safer. You should also liaise with all involved employees to chart the best way forward. A comprehensive JHA review has the following on lock:-
- A change in a specific work method
- A consistent schedule i.e yearly or after every two years
Do as many reviews as you should until you get all hazard controls right.
Do It for Your Business and Employees
You shouldn’t second guess whether a job hazard analysis is worth your time and money. This simple procedure could save you a lot of time and money down the road. Plus, it’s the best way to engender a safe working environment for your employees.
Once you have workplace safety guaranteed, you can work to improve other aspects of your business. For more insightful reads on all matters business, be sure to check out the other pieces on workculture and entrpreneurship the site.