Guide · Workplace safety

Job hazard analysis template free Excel JHA, with a worked example

A JHA breaks a job into steps, finds what can go wrong in each one and records the controls. Here are the four steps OSHA describes, a 5 × 5 matrix to try the scoring, and three jobs from a plant worked out in the template.
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Informational guide, not legal advice. Check the current rule at OSHA Publication 3071 and consult your safety professional.

Likelihood

Severity (1 to 5)

Permanent injury or hospitalization × possible = 12 · High. Do not start until the risk is reduced, with controls above PPE.

Free template

JHA template in Excel, with the risk level calculated

One row per job step and hazard: enter severity and likelihood and the level is calculated, the highest control is recorded and the summary flags what needs attention first.

  • · One row per job step and hazard, with severity times likelihood and the risk level calculated and color-coded
  • · Controls in the order of the hierarchy of controls, from elimination to PPE, recording the highest one used
  • · Residual risk, action owner, due date and days overdue
  • · A summary that flags high risks controlled only with PPE, hazards with no control and jobs with no JHA yet

The 5 × 5 scale is common practice, not an OSHA requirement: the level cut-offs are editable.

How it works

The four steps of a job hazard analysis

From OSHA Publication 3071. The template follows the same order: the Jobs sheet is step 1, the JHA sheet is steps 2 to 4.

1Pick thejob2Break itinto steps3Find thehazards4Set thecontrols
  1. 01Pick the jobStart where injuries, close calls or severe outcomes are most likely.
  2. 02Break it into stepsIn the order they are done, watching the people who do them.
  3. 03Find the hazardsWhat can go wrong in each step, and what injury it would cause.
  4. 04Set the controlsFrom elimination down to PPE, with an owner and a date.

Worked example

Three jobs from a jam plant, analyzed step by step

The same example that ships in the template. Pick a job, then a step, to see its hazard, its score and the controls from the top of the hierarchy down.

  5. Line 2 · capper L2-TAP

Hazard

Line restarts from the upstream filler

Potential injury

Hand caught in the capper chuck

Severity 4 × likelihood 2 = 8 · Medium

  1. 1. Eliminate or substituteNone in this step
  2. 2. Engineering ★Interlocked guard door that stops the capper when opened
  3. 3. AdministrativeStop at the panel and confirm zero motion before opening
  4. 4. PPENone in this step

★ Highest control used. Residual risk with the controls in place: 4 × 1 = 4 · Low

Controls

The hierarchy of controls: PPE comes last

EliminationPhysically remove the hazardSubstitutionReplace the hazardEngineering controlsIsolate people from the hazardAdministrative controlsChange the way people workPPEProtect the worker with equipment

The NIOSH hierarchy of controls ranks controls from most to least effective. The template has one column per rung and records the highest one you used, so a JHA full of "wear gloves" shows up in the summary.

  • · Common mistake: a high risk with a single control, "PPE."
  • · A planned control is not a control yet: write it as an action with an owner and a due date.

What OSHA asks

What is required and what is guidance

A JHA is a method, not a form OSHA prescribes. These are the rules it usually helps you with.

OSHA Publication 3071, Job Hazard Analysis

What it says

Guidance, not a standard: the four steps, which jobs to analyze first and how to choose controls.

Read it

osha.gov

29 CFR 1910.132(d), PPE hazard assessment

What it says

Requires assessing the workplace for hazards that call for PPE, and a written certification that names the workplace evaluated, the person certifying and the date.

Read it

1910.132

29 CFR 1910.147, control of hazardous energy

What it says

Requires written energy control (lockout/tagout) procedures, training and periodic inspections. A JHA step that says "lockout" points to that procedure; it does not replace it.

Read it

1910.147

29 CFR 1904, recordkeeping

What it says

Your OSHA 300 log tells you which jobs injure people: the first place to look when picking jobs for a JHA.

Read it

OSHA 300 log guide

Where to start

Which jobs to analyze first

OSHA 3071 suggests giving priority to these. The Jobs sheet turns them into a priority score.

  • Jobs with the highest injury or illness rates
  • Jobs with the potential to cause severe or disabling injuries, even with no history of incidents
  • Jobs where one simple human error could lead to a severe injury
  • Jobs that are new to the operation or have changed in processes and procedures
  • Jobs complex enough to need written instructions

In the app

How the JHA carries on in the app

The JHA says what to do; the app records that it was done. Findings, actions and inspections are logged with a photo, a signature and a PDF for the period.

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Frequently asked questions

Job hazard analysis FAQ

What is a job hazard analysis?
A job hazard analysis (JHA) is a way to look at a job one step at a time and find the hazards before they cause an injury. OSHA Publication 3071 describes it as focusing on the relationship between the worker, the task, the tools and the work environment, and then setting controls to remove or reduce each hazard.
Is a JHA the same as a JSA?
In practice, yes. Job safety analysis (JSA) and job hazard analysis (JHA) are used interchangeably for the same method: steps, hazards and controls. Some companies also call it a task hazard analysis (THA).
Does OSHA require a job hazard analysis?
No general OSHA standard requires a document called a JHA. 29 CFR 1910.132(d) does require a workplace hazard assessment to select PPE, with a written certification, and other standards require their own written procedures, such as energy control under 1910.147. Many employers use the JHA to record that work, and customers or contracts may ask for one.
Who should do the JHA?
The people who do the job, with their supervisor and whoever handles safety. OSHA 3071 recommends involving employees: they know the job, they see hazards others miss and they are more likely to follow controls they helped choose.
How do you rate the risk in a JHA?
A common practice is severity times likelihood on a 1 to 5 scale, which gives a score from 1 to 25 and a level. OSHA does not prescribe a scale; the template ships with an illustrative one and editable cut-offs so you can match your company's method.
Is PPE enough to control a hazard?
It is the last line of defense. In the NIOSH hierarchy of controls, elimination, substitution, engineering and administrative controls come first, and PPE protects the worker while the hazard is still there. A high risk controlled only with PPE is the first row to revisit.
How often should a JHA be reviewed?
OSHA 3071 recommends reviewing it periodically, and especially after an injury or illness on that job, or when the job, equipment or materials change. The template sets the next review one year after the JHA date, which is a common interval you can change.

Sources: OSHA Publication 3071, Job Hazard Analysis · 29 CFR 1910.132 · 29 CFR 1910.147 · NIOSH hierarchy of controls. Reviewed on November 5, 2026.

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PLANT · SHIFT A
Tasks
Luis · maintenance
OVERDUE
Sugar silo 1
No signal since 05:40
Sensor · supply
TODAY
M-204 vibration
4.1 mm/s, above normal
Detected by the sensor
PROPOSED
Check the capper
14 badly seated lids since 08:30
AcceptDismiss
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