ABSTRACT
Proactive hazard identification and subsequent control is best accomplished with a combination of comprehensive hazard identification, routine site safety and health inspections, and employee reports of hazards. In reality, unfortunately, the proactive portion of worksite analysis is often conducted either with little coordinated effort or without conscious thought of the process. Either way, the true benefits of the analysis usually are not realized. For example, the specific work procedures involved with the operation of a machine are typically described to a new employee prior to his unsupervised work release and considered an “orientation.” Safety engineers, however, consider such a description of operations a Job Hazard Analysis (JHA); a formal, written description of the procedures, risks, and control measures surrounding the conduct of any job. The difference between the commonplace new employee orientation, which is seldom in writing, and the formal JHA is the systemic approach utilized in the analysis and the subsequent corrective actions taken by management to prevent an accident. If an organization formalizes its worksite analysis, then corrective actions can occur prior to placing an employee at risk.
