OSHA-style JHA form: presets, editable steps, risk scoring, printable with QR
This builder follows OSHA Publication 3071's step-hazard-control structure but is a planning aid, not legal advice and not a substitute for your competent person's judgment, site-specific assessment, or the regulations themselves (29 CFR 1926 for construction).
| Control | Rank | Construction example | Why it ranks here |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elimination | 1 — most effective | Prefab the section at grade instead of working at the edge | Hazard is gone; no dependence on human behavior |
| Substitution | 2 | Low-VOC or water-based product instead of solvent | Swaps a hazard for a milder one |
| Engineering | 3 | Guardrail set back from the leading edge; trench box | Isolates people from the hazard passively |
| Administrative | 4 | JHA briefing, rotate heat-exposure shifts, signage | Changes how people work; depends on compliance |
| PPE | 5 — last resort | Harness, hard hat, cut-resistant gloves | Doesn't remove the hazard; protects only if worn correctly |
A JHA that jumps straight to PPE is a JHA written backwards. Controls should climb the hierarchy before they lean on the harness.
| Rule | Standard | Trigger |
|---|---|---|
| Fall protection (construction) | 29 CFR 1926.501(b)(1) | 6 ft — guardrail, net, or PFAS |
| Fall protection (general industry) | 29 CFR 1910.28(b)(1) | 4 ft |
| Scaffold guardrails | 29 CFR 1926.451(b)(1) | 10 ft platform height |
| Excavation protective systems | 29 CFR 1926.652(b)(1) | ≥ 5 ft deep (sooner if competent person sees cave-in potential) |
| Ladder extension above landing | 29 CFR 1926.1053(b)(1) | Side rails 3 ft above the landing |
| Low-slope roofing option | 29 CFR 1926.501(b)(10) | Warning line + safety monitor system |
FY2024 enforcement context (federal OSHA, all industries): fall protection — general requirements (1926.501) was the most-cited standard for the 14th consecutive year, with ladders (1926.1053), scaffolding (1926.451), fall-protection training (1926.503), and eye/face protection (1926.102) all in the top ten. Five of the ten most-cited standards are construction standards — which is why the JHA habit pays.
A JHA answers three questions in order, once per step: what happens, what can hurt someone doing it, and what keeps that from happening. OSHA's own guidance (Publication 3071) has pushed this structure for decades, and it survives because it forces you to walk the job in your head before your body walks it on site.
Each step is scored severity (1-5) × probability (1-5), giving 1-25. This builder's bands: 1-4 Low (proceed, standard controls), 5-9 Medium (verify controls in the pre-task briefing), 10-14 High (additional controls before start; supervisor sign-off), 15-25 Critical (do not start until the score drops — re-engineer the step, not the paperwork). The header card shows the worst step, the total score, and the count of Critical steps so nothing hides in an average.
Load the preset closest to your job, then edit: your site's steps are never exactly the template's. Rewrite hazards as energy sources (gravity, electricity, stored pressure, motion, chemical) and write controls that climb the hierarchy of controls before reaching PPE. Score each step honestly — severity is the credible worst outcome, probability is how often the exposure actually occurs. Print, brief it with the crew, sign it, and post the QR so the live version is one scan away.
Roofing tear-off preset, a 22-foot residential walk-off scored straight: staging 3×2=6 Medium; ladder access 4×2=8 Medium; tear-off at the unprotected edge 5×3=15 Critical; deck inspection 4×2=8 Medium; leading-edge shingling 5×3=15 Critical; cleanup 3×2=6 Medium. Total 58, worst step 15, and two Critical steps. That's the honest picture: on a roof, the work itself — not the ladder trips — is what the controls have to conquer. The JHA's job is to drag those two 15s down before the first bundle goes up: guardrail or PFAS anchors placed while the crew is still on the ground, slide guards during tear-off, leading-edge plan approved by the competent person. Drop the edge work to 5×2=10 High and the job starts; leave it at 15 and it doesn't.
OSHA's method (Publication 3071): choose the job, break it into steps, identify hazards in each step, decide controls for each hazard, then review the JHA whenever the job, tools, or incident history change. The output is a form with columns for job steps, hazards, and controls — which is exactly what this builder generates.
Nothing structural — job hazard analysis and job safety analysis describe the same document, and companies use the names interchangeably. JHA is the term OSHA's own guidance uses. A daily toolbox talk is different: it's a short briefing, while a JHA is the written step-hazard-control record for one specific job.
Each step gets severity (1-5) and probability (1-5); the risk score is severity x probability, from 1 to 25. In this builder's convention: 1-4 Low, 5-9 Medium, 10-14 High, 15-25 Critical. A 22-foot roof tear-off scores 5 x 3 = 15 — Critical, meaning controls must reduce the score before work proceeds, not after.
6 feet. Above 6 feet, 29 CFR 1926.501 requires guardrails, safety nets, or personal fall arrest (with warning-line and safety-monitor options for some low-slope roofing). Compare: 4 feet in general industry (1910.28), guardrails on scaffolds at 10 feet (1926.451), and ladder side rails extending 3 feet above the landing (1926.1053).
OSHA does not mandate a specific JHA form or format — 1926.20(b) requires hazard assessment and 1926.21(b)(2) requires instruction in recognition and avoidance of hazards, and a good JHA is the standard way to document both. This builder follows OSHA Publication 3071's structure. It is a planning aid, not legal advice; your competent person owns the final document.