8/5/2021
The Difference Between Job Safety Analysis and Risk Assessment
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The Difference Between Job Safety Analysis and Risk Assessment
By Christine Lellis
Risk Management
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The Difference Between Job Safety Analysis and Risk Assessment
Job safety analysis and risk assessment seem similar, since they're both tools for reducing risk
— but they're not the same.
While the two do have some basic principles in common, mixing up job safety analysis with risk
assessment is sort of like using a screwdriver to drive a nail. Or using a rake to shovel your
driveway.
Even if you already perform both types of assessments for your organization, it's worth reviewing
the differences to make sure you're not inadvertently creating more work for yourself. Let's jump
right in.
Download Now: Free Risk Assessment Template
Definition of job safety analysis and risk assessment
Before we get into differences between job safety analysis and risk assessment, let's define what
we're talking about:
Job safety analysis: A formal process to identify the dangers of specific job tasks in order to
reduce the risk of injury to workers. It involves breaking down the steps of performing a job,
identifying hazards at each step, and creating controls to keep workers safe while performing
that task.
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The Difference Between Job Safety Analysis and Risk Assessment
Risk assessment: A formal process to identify potential hazards related to an activity or
operation, analyze the level of risk associated with those hazards, and propose controls to
reduce the level of risk.
So, what's the difference between job safety analysis and risk
assessment?
The key difference between job safety analysis and risk assessment is the scope. Job
safety analysis has a much narrower scope, as it involves only job-specific risks. Risk
assessment, on the other hand, gives a big picture view of all operational risks including
environmental hazards, storm water and waste management, equipment maintenance, and
more.
Examples of job safety analysis and risk assessment
Now that we have a definition for each method, let's look at an example of each.
Here's an example of job safety analysis for hitching a tractor and wagon, from the USDA
Agricultural Extension:
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The Difference Between Job Safety Analysis and Risk Assessment
For each job step, the supervisor has identified potential hazards, and suggested recommended
actions to eliminate or control the hazard.
So you might use a job safety analysis to uncover task-related risks like:
potential for slips, trips, or falls
pinch points or places body parts/clothing could get caught in the equipment
exposure to extreme heat or cold
loud noises or vibration
potentially harmful substances or electrical hazards
For comparison, here's an example of a risk assessment for a poultry farm from Health and
Safety Executive:
In addition to task-related hazards, the risk assessment identifies potential hazards associated
with machinery, chemical storage, electrical systems, building maintenance, and more.
Now that we've seen the difference between these risk management tools, let's take a brief look
at how they are different within Perillon.
JSA vs. Risk Assessment in Perillon
Perillon's mobile audit management software gives you the flexibility to perform either type of
assessment with one intuitive tool.
Drag and drop questions from a central library to build any form template you need. Add logic to
skip questions, generate findings, or trigger corrective actions.
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The Difference Between Job Safety Analysis and Risk Assessment
You can also perform assessments on mobile or offline with the GOpak mobile app, so you can
capture data, images, and video at the source.
And, Perillon includes risk scoring so you can compare potential hazards and focus your efforts
on the most urgent issues.
The bottom line
Job safety analysis and risk assessment, used together in the right ways, can be a powerful
combination. Job safety analysis can help you reduce task-specific risks to workers, while risk
assessment can help lower your overall corporate risk profile.
Note: This post was originally published in 2017, and was updated April 28 2021 for freshness
and accuracy.
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Topic: EHS risk management
vbeanjibabu vbe 4/27/2018, 4:32:00 PM
Nice information about Arc Flash Risk Assessment,we are also providing the service on Arc
Flash Risk Assessment.Visit Our Website
Reply to vbeanjibabu vbe
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Zakir Hussain 7/21/2018, 6:11:06 PM
safety related documents
Reply to Zakir Hussain
Robert Trevino 8/17/2018, 8:06:12 PM
I was trying to get an example of a jsa for frac tanks
Reply to Robert Trevino
Bluesafe Solutions 12/18/2018, 11:55:15 AM
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Reply to Bluesafe Solutions
Bluesafe Solutions 12/18/2018, 11:59:01 AM
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