Job safety analysis: Evaluate the need for PPE

Employers are responsible for ensuring employees are protected from hazards in the workplace. Where engineering controls (physical barriers) and administrative controls (policy, job rotation, etc.) can’t protect employees, personal protective equipment (PPE) should be used. PPE should be the last line of defense because it’s the least reliable.

To determine the necessary PPE for a task, complete a job safety analysis (JSA). The JSA (or job hazard analysis, JHA) will identify the task, hazards associated with the task, and controls to minimize risk (which includes PPE).

Keep in mind that documentation of these evaluations should be kept on file as well. A JSA may be a complex spreadsheet, a simple “yes/no” format, or a multibranched analysis system. Your organization just needs to complete the evaluation of hazards and appropriate protection for employees, and to keep records of the evaluation and decision-making process.

Example:

Whatever the JSA flows or looks like, it should draw the connection between the hazard and its protective measure. JSAs are a safety tool that can be used to define and control hazards associated with a process job or procedure.

For more on this topic, visit saif.com/ppe.