| One area that many organizations could stand to | | | | original SOP can serve as the technical document, |
| improve in is safety communication. The Standard | | | | while the JHA serves as the supplemental safety |
| Operating Procedure is the most basic and | | | | document. |
| persistent safety communication tool in the | | | | Ideally, all organizations should strive to fully |
| workplace, yet it is often poorly crafted and | | | | integrate the JHA into the SOP. The best practice |
| ineffective. Over the years, I've read a lot of | | | | would involve all information from the JHA being |
| them, and the most consistent theme I see is an | | | | included in the SOP. The JHA, however, does not |
| overall vagueness about how a task can be safely | | | | necessarily have to contain all of the information |
| performed. | | | | from the SOP. |
| The SOP is often very detailed from a technical | | | | Writing a Job Hazard analysis does not have to be |
| perspective yet lacks any vantage concerning | | | | a daunting task. It's actually pretty easy to do. In |
| safety. Sometimes, however, I actually find | | | | fact, the most practical way to get them written |
| procedures which are not detailed at all. They are | | | | is to have someone else write them - namely, |
| so vague, in fact, that they leave a lot to the | | | | the employees who actually perform the job. |
| imagination. This is definitely a detriment to safety | | | | They will usually be the ones in the best position |
| on the job. | | | | to identify potential hazards. This may take a little |
| It's imperative that we be specific, otherwise we | | | | prompting on your part to get them looking at |
| are just dressing up a generic directive to "Just | | | | things from the proper perspective. Nonetheless, |
| go do the job". In other words, our SOP needs to | | | | they will ultimately be the ones best suited to the |
| say a lot more than "This is what you need to do | | | | task. Your job will be to give the final stamp of |
| to perform this task". We need to go deeper, | | | | approval after the JHA has gone through a |
| breaking the task down into minute steps. Yet | | | | revision process, during which time you can offer |
| even this is not enough. | | | | your suggestions. |
| In this day and age, it's not sufficient to merely | | | | The simplest of JHA formats can consist of |
| explain the steps involved in completing a work | | | | headings such as "Basic Job Step", "Potential |
| related task. We must also take into consideration | | | | Hazards" and "Preventative Measures". Another |
| the safety risks associated with each and every | | | | column for "Additional Comments" can be helpful |
| step in a procedure. | | | | as well. |
| One way to ensure that your Standard Operating | | | | It's really that easy and it can make a huge |
| Procedures include adequate safety guidelines is to | | | | difference. |
| implement the Job Hazard Analysis. The JHA is a | | | | By starting a JHA program, you'll be |
| wonderful tool for defining the potential dangers | | | | communicating how you really feel about safety. |
| associated with each and every step of a | | | | Your employees will know you are serious about |
| procedure. | | | | safety, and secondary to that, so will regulatory |
| If your organization hasn't yet nailed down all of | | | | agencies such as OSHA. So call a meeting, form |
| it's SOP's, the JHA can be particularly useful in | | | | some departmental teams, and get started |
| helping you keep safety in mind while you author | | | | crafting some well written safety communication |
| them. If you do have written procedures in place | | | | documents today. You, and a lot of other people |
| for every conceivable task, then you can | | | | at work will be glad you did. Most importantly, |
| supplement them with Job Hazard Analyses. The | | | | everyone will be a lot safer because of it. |