Skip to content
All safety questions
Asked by a personGeneral — US and Canadaen-US

What is risk

A person submitted this question to Rosie's free generator. The asker's identity is neither imported nor published.

Rosie's answer

Published by SALUS

Potential hazards and risks vary depending on the specific job or task. A Job Safety Analysis (JSA) is recommended to identify these hazards and implement appropriate controls. A JSA involves:

  • Breaking down the job into a sequence of steps.
  • Identifying potential hazards at each step.
  • Determining preventive measures to control these hazards.
  • Communicating the results to all participants. [4]

When identifying potential hazards, consider factors such as:

  • Whether any body part can get caught in or between objects.
  • Hazards presented by tools, machines, or equipment.
  • The possibility of harmful contact with moving objects.
  • Slip, trip, or fall hazards.
  • Strain from lifting, pushing, or pulling.
  • Exposure to extreme heat or cold.
  • Excessive noise or vibration.
  • Dangers from falling objects.
  • Lighting problems.
  • Weather conditions.
  • Harmful radiation.
  • Contact with hot, toxic, or caustic products.
  • Dusts, fumes, mists, or vapors in the air. [3]

Preventive measures should be implemented following the hierarchy of controls:

1\. Eliminate the hazard: This is the most effective measure and can involve choosing a different process, modifying an existing one, substituting with a less hazardous product, improving ventilation, or changing equipment or tools. 2\. Contain the hazard: If elimination is not possible, prevent contact using enclosures, machine guards, or worker booths. 3\. Revise work procedures: Modify hazardous steps, change the sequence of steps, or add additional steps such as locking out energy sources. 4\. Reduce the exposure: Minimize the number of times the hazard is encountered, use personal protective equipment (PPE), and provide emergency facilities like eyewash stations. [1] [2] [2] [2]

Specific statements describing the action to be taken and how to perform it are preferable to general statements like "be careful". [2]

4 source record(s)

Sources used for this answer

[1] Job Safety Analysis

Page 6

Open source document

Source excerpt

# How do I "identify potential hazards"? (cont.) <table><tr><th>Sequence of Events</th><th>Potential Incidents or Hazards</th><th>Preventive Measures</th></tr><tr><td>1. Park vehicle</td><td>a) Vehicle too close to passing traffic b) Vehicle on uneven, soft ground c) Vehicle may roll</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>2. Remove the spare tire and tool kit</td><td>a) Strain from lifting spare tire</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>3. Pry off the hub cap and loosen lug bolts (nuts)</td><td>a) Hub cap may pop off and hit you b) Lug wrench may slip</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>And so on</td><td>a)</td><td></td></tr></table> Again, all participants should jointly review this part of the analysis. ## How do I "determine preventive measures?" The next step in a job safety analysis is to determine ways to eliminate the hazards or control the risks identified. Hazards should be controlled using the hierarchy of controls. The hierarchy of controls is a step-by-step approach to eliminating or reducing workplace hazards. For more information, please see the OSH Answers on Hierarchy of Controls. Following the same principles as the hierarchy of controls, you would implement preventive measures in the following order of preference: ## 1. Eliminate the hazard Elimination is the most effective measure. These techniques should be used to eliminate the hazards: - Choose a different process - Modify an existing process - Substitute with less hazardous product - Improve environment (e.g., ventilation) - Modify or change equipment or tools In the hierarchy of controls, these would be elimination or substitution controls. 2. Contain the hazard Job Safety Analysis CCOHS

[2] Job Safety Analysis

Page 3

Open source document

Source excerpt

# What are the benefits of doing a job safety analysis? (cont.) ## Who should conduct a job safety analysis? (cont.) The basic steps in conducting a job safety analysis are: - Select the job to be analyzed - Break the job down into a sequence of steps - Identify potential hazards - Determine preventive measures to control these hazards - Communicate the results ## What is important to know when "selecting the job"? Ideally, all jobs should be subjected to a job safety analysis. In some cases, practical constraints are posed by the amount of time and effort required to do a job safety analysis. Another consideration is that each job safety analysis will require revision whenever equipment, raw materials, processes, or the environment changes. For these reasons, it is usually necessary to identify which jobs are to be analyzed. Even if an analysis of all jobs is planned, this step ensures that the most critical jobs are examined first. Factors to be considered in setting a priority for the analysis of jobs include: - Incident frequency and severity: jobs where incidents occur frequently or where they occur infrequently but result in serious injuries. - Potential for severe injuries or illnesses: the consequences of an incident, hazardous condition, or exposure to harmful products are potentially severe. - Newly established jobs: due to lack of experience in these jobs, hazards may not be evident or anticipated. - Modified jobs: new hazards may be associated with changes in job procedures. - Infrequently performed jobs: workers may be at greater risk when undertaking non- routine jobs, and a JSA provides a means of reviewing hazards. ## How do I break the job into "basic steps"? After a job has been chosen for analysis, the next stage is to break the job into steps. A job step is defined as a segment of the operation necessary to advance the work. Job Safety Analysis CCOHS

[3] Job Safety Analysis

Page 7

Open source document

Source excerpt

# How do I "identify potential hazards"? (cont.) ## 1. Eliminate the hazard (cont.) If the hazard cannot be eliminated, contact might be prevented by using enclosures, machine guards, worker booths or similar devices. These are generally engineering controls. ## 3. Revise work procedures Consideration might be given to modifying steps which are hazardous, changing the sequence of steps, or adding additional steps (such as locking out energy sources). Work procedures and training fall under administrative controls. ## 4. Reduce the exposure These measures are the least effective and should only be used if no other solutions are possible. One way of minimizing exposure is to reduce the number of times the hazard is encountered. An example would be modifying machinery so that less maintenance is necessary. The use of appropriate personal protective equipment may be required. To reduce the severity of an incident, emergency facilities, such as eyewash stations, may need to be provided. This preventive measure is also an administrative control. Reducing the exposure may include using personal protective equipment. It is important to note that personal protective equipment can limit exposure to the harmful effects of a hazard, but only if the personal protective equipment is worn and used correctly. In listing the preventive measures, do not use general statements such as "be careful" or "use caution." Specific statements which describe both what action is to be taken and how it is to be performed are preferable. The recommended measures are listed in the right-hand column of the worksheet, numbered to match the hazard in question. For example: Job Safety Analysis CCOHS

[4] Job Safety Analysis

Page 5

Open source document

Source excerpt

# How do I "identify potential hazards"? Once the basic steps have been recorded, actual and potential hazards must be identified at each step. Based on observations of the job, knowledge of incident and injury causes, and personal experience, list the things that could be unsafe at each step. A second observation of the job being performed may be needed. Since the basic steps have already been recorded, more attention can now be focused on each hazard. At this stage, no attempt is made to solve any problems or correct any hazards which may have been detected. To help identify potential hazards, the job analyst may use questions such as these (this is not a complete list): - Can any body part get caught in or between objects? - Do tools, machines, or equipment present any hazards? - Can the worker make harmful contact with moving objects? - Can the worker slip, trip, or fall? - Can the worker suffer strain from lifting, pushing, or pulling? - Is the worker exposed to extreme heat or cold? - Is excessive noise or vibration a problem? - Is there a danger from falling objects? - Is lighting a problem? - Can weather conditions affect safety? - Is harmful radiation a possibility? - Can contact be made with hot, toxic, or caustic products? - Are there dusts, fumes, mists, or vapours in the air? Potential hazards are listed in the middle column of the worksheet, numbered to match the corresponding job step. For example: Job Safety Analysis CCOHS

Related Q&A

Keep exploring.

Human questionGeneral

what is a safety work procedure for the use of a reciprocating saw

Safe Work Procedure: Reciprocating Saw Operation Document Number: [SWP-NUMBER] Revision Date: [DATE] Next Review Date: [NEXT REVIEW DATE] Department: [DEPARTMENT NAME] 1. Scope This Safe Work Procedure (SWP) outlines the necessary safety precautions and procedures for the safe operation of a reciprocating saw. It

Read the thread
Human questionGeneral

Cold Weather in COnstruction

Cold Weather Construction Site Safety ===================================== *Date:** 2025-12-30 *Duration:** \[DURATION] minutes *Presenter:** \[PRESENTER NAME] *Location:** \[LOCATION] Objective To ensure all construction workers understand the hazards associated with cold weather conditions and the necessary safety

Read the thread
Human questionGeneral

night time road work and working around heavy equipment

Nighttime Road Construction Safety ================================== *Date:** 2026-01-20 *Duration:** \[DURATION] minutes *Presenter:** \[PRESENTER NAME] *Location:** \[LOCATION] Objective To ensure the safety of workers and the public during nighttime road construction by identifying hazards, implementing effective

Read the thread
Human questionUS

Falls

Toolbox Talk: Fall Protection *Date:** [DATE] *Duration:** [DURATION] minutes *Presenter:** [PRESENTER NAME] *Location:** [LOCATION] Objective The objective of this toolbox talk is to educate participants on the importance of fall protection, identify common fall hazards, and discuss effective control measures to

Read the thread
Human questionUS

Give me a JHA for Framing a 3 story house in California

Job Hazard Analysis (JHA) for Three-Story Residential Building Framing in California ===================================================================================== This Job Hazard Analysis (JHA) outlines the safety procedures and hazard controls for framing a three-story residential building in California. It

Read the thread
Human questionGeneral

Welding and Cutting Safety

Toolbox Talk: Welding and Cutting Safety *Date:** [DATE] *Duration:** [DURATION] minutes *Presenter:** [PRESENTER NAME] *Location:** [LOCATION] Objective The objective of this toolbox talk is to ensure that all participants understand the safety precautions necessary when performing welding and cutting tasks. By the

Read the thread
Discussion thread

Add your experience.

Community answers can add practical context. They are moderated, but they are not SALUS-reviewed safety guidance.

New contributions are temporarily closed while the moderation queue is configured.

Community answers(0)

No community answers have been approved yet.

Comments on Rosie's answer(0)

No comments have been approved yet.

Ready to put operational safety to work?

Join 400K users across 150K sites already on SALUS.

No commitment · 30-minute personalized walkthrough