706 Conducting a Job Hazard Analysis (JHA)

Job Hazard Analysis Glossary

• Accident. An unplanned event that results in injury, illness, or damage to property.
• Analysis. The detailed examination of the elements or structure of something.
• Administrative controls. Policies and procedures implemented to reduce or eliminate hazards.
• Abilities. The competencies or skills that a person has acquired or developed.
• Behavior. The actions or reactions of a person in response to external or internal stimuli.
• Behavior-based safety (BBS). A process that helps employees identify and change unsafe behaviors.
• Baseline survey. An initial survey to establish reference points for future safety assessments.
• Buddy system. A safety system in which two workers are paired to monitor and assist each other.
• Cold stress. Physical stress on the body caused by exposure to extreme cold.
• Confined space. A space that is not designed for continuous occupancy and has limited or restricted means of entry or exit.
• Competent person. An individual who is capable of identifying existing and predictable hazards and has the authority to take corrective measures.
• Contributing factor. An element that, when present, increases the likelihood of an accident or incident.
• Corrective action. Steps taken to fix problems and prevent them from recurring.
• Corrective maintenance. Maintenance performed to correct defects or malfunctions.
• Corrective measures. Actions implemented to correct a problem or mitigate hazards.
• Danger sign. A sign indicating an immediate hazard that presents a threat of death or serious injury.
• DART Rate. Days Away, Restricted, or Transferred Rate; a safety metric that indicates the number of work-related injuries or illnesses resulting in time away from work, restricted work, or job transfer.
• De minimis OSHA violation. A violation that has no direct or immediate relationship to safety or health.
• Education. The process of imparting or acquiring knowledge or skills.
• Elimination controls. Safety measures that remove the hazard entirely.
• Employee. An individual who works part-time or full-time under a contract of employment.
• Employer. A person or organization that employs people.
• Engineering controls. Methods built into the design of equipment, facilities, or processes to minimize hazards.
• Environmental exposure. Exposure to physical, chemical, or biological factors originating from the environment.
• Environmental extremes. Conditions such as extreme temperatures, high noise levels, or poor air quality that can affect worker safety and health.
• Ergonomics. The study of people's efficiency in their working environment, often focusing on reducing strain and injury.
• Evaluation. The systematic determination of a subject's merit, worth, and significance, using criteria governed by a set of standards.
• Event action. The specific action or occurrence that triggers an event or incident.
• Event actor (person). The individual involved in an event or incident.
• Experience. The knowledge or skill acquired by a period of practical involvement in an activity or field.
• Exposure. The condition of being subjected to something (such as a hazard) which can have a harmful effect.
• Fall arrest system. A system designed to safely stop a person from falling.
• Fall protection. Measures or systems used to prevent workers from falling from heights.
• Fall restraint system. A system that prevents a worker from reaching a fall hazard.
• Feasible. Capable of being done, executed, or achieved.
• Frequency. The rate at which an event occurs over a particular period of time.
• Guideline. A general rule, principle, or piece of advice.
• Hands-on training. Practical training that involves active participation in the task being learned.
• Hazard. A potential source of harm or adverse health effect on a person or persons.
• Hazardous condition. A condition that can cause injury, illness, or death.
• Hazard analysis. The process of identifying potential hazards and analyzing what could happen if a hazard occurs.
• Heat stress. Physical stress on the body caused by exposure to extreme heat.
• Hierarchy of controls. A system for controlling risks in the workplace by implementing control measures in a specific order: elimination, substitution, engineering controls, administrative controls, and personal protective equipment (PPE).
• Incident. An unplanned event that does not result in injury or damage but has the potential to do so.
• Inspection. The process of examining something carefully to ensure that it meets specific standards or criteria.
• Involvement. The participation or engagement in an activity or process.
• Investigation. A detailed examination or inquiry into a matter to uncover facts and establish the cause of an incident.
• JHA worksheet. A document used to record the steps, hazards, and preventive measures identified during a Job Hazard Analysis.
• Knowledge. The information, understanding, and skills that one gains through education or experience.
• KSAs (knowledge, skills, and abilities). The attributes required to perform a job and are generally demonstrated through qualifying service, education, or training.
• Leadership. The action of leading a group or organization, or the ability to do so.
• Machinery. Machines collectively, or the components and mechanisms that make up a machine.
• Management. The process of dealing with or controlling things or people.
• Mandatory. Required by rules or laws; compulsory.
• Mitigation. The action of reducing the severity, seriousness, or painfulness of something.
• Operator. A person who operates equipment or machinery.
• OSH Act of 1970. The Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970; a US law that governs workplace health and safety.
• Personal protective equipment (PPE). Equipment worn to minimize exposure to hazards that cause serious workplace injuries and illnesses.
• Personal factors (cognitive, emotional, fitness, skills, abilities). Individual characteristics that can influence safety performance.
• Physical exposure. Contact with physical agents (e.g., noise, vibration, radiation) that may cause harm.
• Policy. A course or principle of action adopted or proposed by an organization or individual.
• Positioning system. A system that enables a worker to be supported on an elevated vertical surface, such as a wall, while completing a task.
• Practice. The actual application or use of an idea, belief, or method, as opposed to theories about such application or use.
• Preventive maintenance. Maintenance activities designed to prevent equipment failures and extend the life of equipment.
• Preventive measures. Actions taken to reduce the likelihood or impact of hazards.
• Procedure. An established or official way of doing something.
• Process. A series of actions or steps taken to achieve a particular end.
• Program. A planned series of future events, items, or performances.
• Psychosocial. Pertaining to the influence of social factors and individual thought and behavior.
• Qualified person. An individual who, by possession of a recognized degree, certificate, professional standing, or extensive knowledge, training, and experience, has successfully demonstrated their ability to solve or resolve problems related to the subject matter.
• Reactive. Having a tendency to react chemically.
• Recognized hazards. Hazards that are commonly known and acknowledged in the industry.
• Risk. The possibility of suffering harm or loss.
• Risk analysis. The systematic study of uncertainties and risks, including their identification, evaluation, and management.
• Risk calculation (risk = probability x severity x exposure). A method to quantify risk by multiplying the probability of occurrence, the severity of the potential outcome, and the level of exposure.
• Risk matrix. A tool for ranking and displaying risks by defining the various levels as the product of the probability and impact of an event.
• Safety data sheet (SDS). A document that provides information on the properties of hazardous chemicals and how they can affect health and safety in the workplace.
• Safe job procedure (SJP). A written, specific step-by-step description of how to complete a job safely and efficiently.
• Sequence. A particular order in which related events, movements, or things follow each other.
• Serious OSHA violation. A violation where there is a substantial probability that death or serious physical harm could result, and the employer knew, or should have known, of the hazard.
• Skills. The ability to do something well; expertise.
• Substitution controls. Replacing a hazardous substance or process with a less hazardous one to reduce risk.
• Supervisor. A person who manages or oversees the work of others.
• Toxic. Poisonous substances that can cause harm to humans or the environment.
• Toxicity. The degree to which a substance can harm humans or animals.
• Training. The process of teaching or learning a skill or job.
• Unsafe practice. An action that increases the risk of an accident or injury.
• Value. The importance, worth, or usefulness of something.
• Warnings. Alerts or notices about potential hazards.
• Willful OSHA violation. A violation where the employer knowingly failed to comply with a legal requirement or acted with plain indifference to employee safety.
• Work practice controls. Procedures for safe and proper work that are used to reduce the duration, frequency, or intensity of exposure to a hazard.
• Workload. The amount of work assigned to or expected from a worker in a specified time period.