Job Safety Analysis (JSA) Worksheet

[Guest]

I was just provided with a copy of the Job Safety Analysis (JSA) worksheet for my position - I have one for office work and one for field work.

I typically find these exercises to be extremely helpful for educating the masses about potential dangers in thier jobs. However, when when I read the JSA for office work and it identifies 'paper cuts' as a potential accident/hazard. Good grief !!

JR

 

[TouchDown]

In manufacturing.

Safety is #1.

We use JSA (Job Safety Analysis) - specific job review - if you think there may be a problem

PHA (Potential Hazard Analysis) - Review of a new process to evaluate if all jobs / equipment pose any problems

BBS (Behavior Based Safety) - Open suggestions and observations for safety improvement

PHR (Potential Hazard Report) - Open suggestion with actionable items to correct

MOC (Management of Change) - Reviews of any changes for safety review

PSSR (Pre-Startup Safety Review) - Before major changes or new equipment can startup, this review is to double check

etc.

etc.

So - yes, we do them. They do work, but you're right, if a system like this is abused, then it loses it's validity. Quite a few people make fun of how many systems we have and that they begin to look at if you wiped the right way after going to the bathroom.

PS - the action items from all of these, guess who get's to resolve them... The engineer.

 

[Dleg]

I've watched over the shoulder of a contractor doing a JSA for me and my staff, and chuckled a bit...

I take safety very seriously. I've seen people seriously hurt and been involved, peripherally, in one triple-fatality accident in CA (was on site the day before, doing the same thing, and but for the grace of God (or whatever) walked out of there, while the guys the next day did not). I just think that forms and such are no guarantee, but if they are the only thing that will get a person to pay attention, then I have no argument.

 

[tmckeon_PE]

For Dleg (note the covering of the eyes).

 

[grover]

We call it ORM- Operational Risk Management and go through a depressing amount of training trying to drill risk mitigation into us. Thankfully we don't have to fill out paperwork on it though!

It's funny- I'm in a benign office environment, and the designated "safety officer" sits right beside me and is required to give everyone a safety brief when they check in. And it's the same- paper cuts and errant stamples, watch out for cars in the parking lot, don't plug too many coffee pots or space heaters into your cubicles or you'll overload the circuit and start a fire and watch your step if you're wearing high heels. I suggested he add warnings about fingers pinched in doors, ties stuck in shredders, airliners crashing into the building (we're right off the end of an airport runway) and terrorist attacks but he hasn't yet.

 

[TxStructural]

In my past life, as a Safety Engineer (hey, this is the first time I've said that since actually getting my PE), we did JSA's on all manner of jobs. Office jobs actually do involve much risk, simply because it seems so safe. The problem is that most things are one-offs - someone sits down wrong and hurt their back... had someone who heard a loud noise, turned her head to the side too fast, and ruptured a disc in the neck.

The biggest thing is computer use - "ergonomics" being the operative discipline - which costs a lot of money, but it is under assessed and under addressed.

There are also the atypical activities, like handling a box of plotter or copier paper, or a 5 gallon bottle of water. Slip and falls, etc. If you do observations as part of you engineering CA, then that needs to be reviewed, and training for jobsite hazards needs to be addressed.

I did have my CSP (Certified Safety Professional - see http://www.bcsp.org) put on my new business cards ("CSP, PE"). I think they may put me on the "safety committee" at work, although I have been angling to avoid that - my last safety gig was running a safety program for 2500 manufacturing employees.

 

[Guest]

I have come to understand that there many injuries in the office workplace happen from seemigly benign activities (working at computer terminal, lifting boxes of paper, etc.). In fact, our division safety office pointed out in the last safety refresher course that >50% of on the work injuries were caused by inspectors straining their backs and/or necks from reaching from the front seat to the backseat for notebooks, inspection sheets, equipment, etc. That was an eye-opener for me.

I was curious about your affiliation BCSP. Do you find that licensure from trade-organizations improves your resume ?? Has it helped with better pay or consideration for a better job ??

I am just curious.

JR

 

[TxStructural]

I have come to understand that there many injuries in the office workplace happen from seemigly benign activities (working at computer terminal, lifting boxes of paper, etc.). In fact, our division safety office pointed out in the last safety refresher course that >50% of on the work injuries were caused by inspectors straining their backs and/or necks from reaching from the front seat to the backseat for notebooks, inspection sheets, equipment, etc. That was an eye-opener for me.
I was curious about your affiliation BCSP. Do you find that licensure from trade-organizations improves your resume ?? Has it helped with better pay or consideration for a better job ??

I am just curious.

JR

In the safety business, it is THE professional recognition, and it does yield higher pay and more opportunities. It requires 2 eight hour exams, a technical degree and certain experience (top of my head, sorry no specific details). Many CSP's obtained a PE from the State of MA, since they recognize the CSP plus certain other things to get the PE - and most states look critically at people using the "CSP, PE" designation.

I returned to grad school for a MSCE(structural) after many years exclusively in safety, and just received my structural PE.

I have mixed feelings about having the CSP on my business card, particularly since I don't do safety as my main duty these days. I had it put on the cards simply because it is valued by certain segments of industry.

But I draw the line there for me... no more letters, although I may do LEED AP and other things for business reasons, the only thing I'll put on the card is an SE if/when that happens.