by Phillip Wells

How do you address the concern of repeated motion trauma? Our organization wrestled with that question for a long time. We finally decided to study each job and operation to determine what motion or activity could be changed or eliminated. We conducted a Job Hazard Analysis (JHA). This killed two birds with one stone: safety and production. The project not only helped identify the potential hazards of a job, it was and is a valuable training tool for both the supervisor developing the JHA and an employee new to the operations.

Developing a JHA for each operation and job within each operation was an extensive project that took well over a year to complete. But it was well worth the effort. Our work related injuries, including repeated motion trauma, were reduced approximately forty percent in the past three years. Here's how we approached the process. There's also a <a href = "http://www.safetyxchange.org/tools/job-hazard-analysis" target = "_blank">model JHA form</a> that SafetyXChange members can download from the Tools section.

Identify Each Step

To conduct a JHA you must first take a good look at each individual production step. A thorough examination reveals hidden hazards, as well as provides both the supervisor and the new employee with a detailed overview of the job. Often there are many more steps than originally expected. You need to know who does what and when they do it. In our organization, this included all aspects of:

• Procuring the raw material
• Production
• Assembly
• Packaging
• Preparing for delivery of product to the stores.

No step in the process is too small when developing a JHA.

Spot the Hazard

Once you've identified each production step, you must consider every potential hazard and how you can eliminate it. Employ "Murphy's Law" and identify anything that could possibly go wrong. Put these questions to each step:

• Is a guard needed?
• Can we remove the human element and automate the function?
• Is a new line layout needed?
• Where is the power source?
• Are other employees in the area who could be in the path of danger if something goes wrong?
• Is PPE needed? If so, what type? Will PPE training be required? How about certification?
• Is the job a two-person operation? If so, what does each person do, especially when the other person is performing a task?

Get a Second Opinion

Once you've completed the first draft of your JHA, it's important to have a knowledgeable second person review it. They might discover something you've missed. For best results, have the JHA reviewed by someone who is very familiar with your operations, such as a long-time employee.

Send in the Engineers

The JHA having been completed and reviewed, it's time to send in the experts. Have an engineer examine the JHA while observing the complete cycle of the operation. If your organization doesn't have an in-house engineer, contact your local workers' compensation carrier and ask if a representative would be willing to assist you (usually they are more than willing to help).

Once your experts have reviewed your JHA, you'll need to address any changes they've identified and revise your JHA. This may have a major impact on the efficiency of the operation. In our case, we were happy to oblige, since safety was our primary concern; efficiency was a by-product.

Conclusion: It Never Ends

And what's the last step? There is no last step. Don't think that you can sit back and relax once you've prepared a JHA for each operation and job function in your organization. Change is a constant. Whether it's a new piece of equipment, a modification to existing equipment, or the production of a new item on the same equipment, each situation requires us to go back to the drawing board to determine how this change affects the production steps. Sometimes changes occur without us realizing it. To be safe, each JHA should be reviewed at least annually, preferably by someone other than the person who conducted it originally.

HISTORIC MOMENTS IN WORKPLACE SAFETY

Mae West: Jump in and See Me Sometime.

The Invention of the Personal Flotation Device

In 1854, to provide his crew with protection from the weather and, if necessary, to keep them afloat, Captain Ward, an inspector with the UK's Royal National Lifeboat Institution, created a life vest--made of cork.

Several decades later, Andrew Toti fashioned his own life vest design using feathers. He later replaced these with air and, in 1936, sold his design to the US War Department.

During World War II, James F. Boyle modified the life preserver using khaki-colored cotton and inflatable rubber blades. Officially called the Type B-4 life preserver, this personal flotation device, because of its curves, was more commonly known as the Mae West.

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