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JHA / JSA Builder — Job Hazard Analysis

Break the job into steps, name the hazard of each step and the control you will use, and the builder lays out the job hazard analysis with the fields of OSHA's own sample form (OSHA 3071, Appendix 3). Controls are ranked by the hierarchy of controls. Print it or save it as a PDF — nothing you type is sent to our servers.

The job being analyzed, not the worker's job title.

Nothing you type is sent to our servers. A draft is kept in this browser until you clear it.

Template for informational purposes only. This document must be reviewed and adapted by a competent or qualified person for your specific jobsite, equipment, and applicable federal, state, and local requirements. It does not constitute legal, engineering, or safety advice and does not by itself establish compliance with OSHA or any other standard. SteelToeTools assumes no liability for its use. Nothing you type is sent to our servers.

How to build a JHA that is worth reading

  1. 1
    Pick the right job. OSHA 3071 puts these first: highest injury rates; potential for severe injury even with no history; jobs where one simple human error could be catastrophic; new or changed jobs; jobs complex enough to need written instructions.
  2. 2
    Watch the job and list the steps. Enough detail to describe each action, not so much that it becomes a manual. Ten to fifteen steps is usually the right size; if you need thirty, split the job.
  3. 3
    Name the hazard, then the consequence. “Ladder slips” is a hazard; “fall to the slab, head injury” is the consequence. Both belong on the form — the consequence is what drives how hard you work on the control.
  4. 4
    Control from the top of the hierarchy down. Elimination, substitution, engineering, administrative, PPE. Record which level you used so the next reviewer can see where you had to settle.
  5. 5
    Fix the easy things now. OSHA 3071 says not to wait for the analysis to be finished to correct hazards that pose immediate danger or that can be fixed easily.
  6. 6
    Brief it, then keep it alive. Use the JHA in the daily pre-task plan, and review it after any incident, change of equipment or method, and periodically.

The hazard types OSHA lists

The hazard type menu in this builder is the list from Appendix 2 of OSHA 3071, so the vocabulary of your analysis matches the vocabulary of the guidance:

Common hazards from OSHA 3071, Appendix 2
FamilyTypes
ChemicalToxic · Flammable · Corrosive
ExplosionChemical reaction · Over-pressurization
ElectricalShock / short circuit · Fire · Static / ESD · Loss of power
ErgonomicsStrain · Human error (error-provocative design)
MechanicalCaught, crushed, cut or sheared · Mechanical failure · Vibration and material fatigue
PhysicalFall (slip, trip) · Struck by · Struck against · Fire / heat · Noise (above 85 dBA 8-hour TWA) · Excavation collapse
EnvironmentRadiation (ionizing and non-ionizing) · Temperature extremes · Visibility · Weather

Frequently asked questions

OSHA defines it as a technique that focuses on job tasks as a way to identify hazards before they occur, looking at the relationship between the worker, the task, the tools and the work environment (OSHA 3071). In practice you break the job into steps, list what can go wrong at each step, and decide the control for each hazard.

None in substance. JHA (job hazard analysis) is OSHA's term; JSA (job safety analysis) is the same document under a different name, and some employers call it an AHA (activity hazard analysis) — the term the US Army Corps of Engineers uses on federal projects. All three break a job into steps and match hazards with controls.

OSHA 3071 gives the priority order: jobs with the highest injury or illness rates; jobs with the potential to cause severe or disabling injury even with no accident history; jobs where one simple human error could lead to a severe injury; jobs that are new or have changed; and jobs complex enough to require written instructions.

Use the hierarchy of controls, most effective first: elimination, substitution, engineering controls, administrative controls, PPE. Appendix 1 of OSHA 3071 gives the same precedence — engineering, administrative, then PPE — and says PPE is acceptable when engineering controls are not feasible or do not totally eliminate the hazard, while engineering controls are being developed, when safe work practices do not provide sufficient protection, and during emergencies. A JHA whose controls are all PPE has not finished the analysis.

There is no federal standard that says "write a JHA" for construction or general industry work as a whole. OSHA requires the employer to instruct each employee in the recognition and avoidance of unsafe conditions (29 CFR 1926.21(b)(2)), and specific standards require their own written analyses — the PPE hazard assessment of 1910.132(d) has to be certified in writing, for example. Owners, general contractors and federal contracts routinely require a JHA or AHA per activity.

The supervisor with the people who do the job. OSHA 3071 is explicit that involving employees minimizes oversights, improves the quality of the analysis, and gets buy-in for the controls. Watching the job being performed and listing each step as the worker takes it is the recommended method.

After any incident or near miss on that job, when the process, equipment, materials or crew change, and periodically even if nothing changed — OSHA 3071 recommends a periodic review so the analysis keeps reflecting how the job is actually done. Note the revision date on the document.

No. The JHA is built in your browser and the PDF is generated on your device. Nothing is transmitted to us or stored by us. A draft stays in this browser until you clear the form.

Sources & references

Content checked against these sources — last reviewed August 27, 2026.

By — Editorial team of SteelToeTools.com (published by LSEA SAS) Updated v1