Develop the Steps
The process of "analysis" in the context of an ergonomics JHA includes breaking the "whole" job down into its basic sequence of steps.
The idea is to carefully describe employee actions and ergonomic hazards in each step, and determine how to mitigate those hazards through preventive measures.
Every Step Has an Actor and Action(s)
Each step in a job describes what the worker (the actor) does (the action), so let's take a look at each of these two components:
- Actor: The actor is the person accomplishing the action. The actor may perform or NOT perform a particular action in a step.
- Action: An action is "the something" that is done by an actor. Actions may or may not be observable. Actions may describe an activity that is accomplished or not accomplished.
If two or more employees are performing the job, identify the employees (employee #1, employee #2) first and their individual action(s). If only one employee is performing the job, there's no need to identify the actor.
Write the step in active tense. See the example of active and passive tense below:
- Active tense: "Lift the heavy box to the conveyor platform."
- Passive tense: "The heavy box was lifted to the conveyor platform."
The table below shows an example of the first three steps in the JHA.
JOB: Placing heavy containers on the conveyor platform
| BASIC JOB STEP | HAZARDS - POSSIBLE INJURIES | PREVENTIVE MEASURES |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Position your body over the heavy container in a "squat" posture with knees bent and back vertical. | ||
| 2. Grab and hold each side of the container. | ||
| 3. Lift the container to the conveyor platform. | ||
| SAFE JOB PROCEDURE | ||
Knowledge Check Choose the best answer for the question.
4-2. Every job step in a Job Hazard Analysis (JHA) describes _____.
You forgot to answer the question!