The Job Hazard Analysis Worksheet (or JHAW) is an important part of any project assessment. It helps to evaluate the probable risks and hazards associated with a project, and provides insights into how well staff and contractors can handle them. This form of analysis is especially useful for small-business owners who will only be conducting their first project. It also can help avoid projects that may result in or exacerbate risks or injuries, or even outright accidents.
Hazard analysis worksheets focus on two main factors: physical hazards and environmental hazards. Physical hazards refer to things like heavy machinery, electrical equipment, toxic chemicals, smoke, and spills. Environmental hazards include dust, noise, and wet conditions.
A project assessment is usually conducted on-site at the current project. This gives project managers who are not familiar with the project an opportunity to learn about what they’re working on. However, this can also cause project managers to overlook some risks, particularly in the case of small business owners who may not know enough about what they’re working on to adequately conduct risk assessments.
One way to minimize this problem is to put together a written and comprehensive Safety Plan, which includes instructions for how to respond in the event of a mishap. A JHAW worksheet is useful for summarizing all hazards that need to be assessed and providing instructions for specific steps needed to make project activities safer.
A worksheet can also be used to document specific steps that should be taken in certain situations. It is therefore useful for activities like noting equipment that must be kept away from the project area, or why an open door policy isn’t a good idea.
A JHAW worksheet does not need to be long and detailed, nor does it need to cover every detail of what needs to be addressed. Instead, it should be short and direct, listing a series of points to be addressed.
For example, if a particular hazard is required to be addressed, a JHAW worksheet can list the activity or task that must be done. It can also note specific steps that need to be taken in order to protect workers and project equipment from the hazard.
An essential component of a job hazard analysis is the Job Hazard Analysis Worksheet (or JHAW). The JHAW helps project managers to easily keep track of hazards and safety measures that are needed and to keep track of what specific actions are needed to reduce and prevent hazards in the future.
