Reasons for Conducting a JSA

Job Safety Analysis (JSA) is an analytical tool that can improve a company s overall performance by identifying and correcting undesirable events that could result in accidents, illnesses, injuries, and reduced quality and production. It is an employer/employee participation program in which job activities are observed divided into individual steps discussed and recorded with the intent to identify, eliminate, or control undesirable events. 

JSA effectively accomplishes this goal because it operates at a very basic level. It reviews each job and breaks it down into an orderly series of smaller tasks. After these tasks have been determined, the same routine of observation, discussion, and recording is repeated, this time focusing on events which could have a negative impact on each step in the task. Once potential undesirable events are recognized, the process is repeated for a third time and corrective actions are identified. 

Conducting a JSA can be a valuable learning experience for both new and experienced employees. Not only does it help them understand their jobs better, but it also familiarizes them with potential hazards and involves them in developing accident prevention procedures. Workers are more likely to follow procedures if they have a voice in planning. Finally, the JSA process causes employees to think about safety and how it relates to their jobs. 

---