Job Hazard Analysis (JHA) Template — OSHA Aligned
The universal JHA template that works for any task — construction, general industry, healthcare. Task → Steps → Hazards → Controls format, with 15 sample JHAs included to accelerate your library.
When this template is required
Required for any task with significant hazards. OSHA 1926.20(b)(2) requires accident prevention programs that include 'frequent and regular inspections of the job sites, materials, and equipment.' JHAs are the standard way to systematically identify hazards before work begins.
Why this template
Universal format works for any industry
The task-step-hazard-control format works for construction, manufacturing, healthcare, hospitality — any work with identifiable hazards. The 15 sample JHAs cover the most common tasks across industries.
15 sample JHAs included
Building a JHA library from scratch takes hundreds of hours. The pack includes 15 pre-built JHAs covering the most common workplace tasks — saving 40-60 hours of drafting.
Risk matrix included
Modern JHAs include risk ranking (likelihood × severity) for prioritising control effort. The template includes a 5x5 risk matrix with hazard category guidance.
Convertible to toolbox talks
JHAs and toolbox talks share content. The template includes the JHA-to-toolbox-talk conversion guide so you can use one JHA as the basis for the daily/weekly safety meeting.
What you receive
- JHA template (Word .docx) — task-step-hazard-control format
- 15 sample JHAs (covering common tasks: ladder use, manual lifting, slip/trip, electrical, hot work, confined space, fall, struck-by, caught-in/between, heat, cold, machine guarding, hand tool, power tool, vehicle backing)
- Hazard category reference card
- Risk matrix (likelihood × severity)
- Three Phases of Control crosswalk (Preparatory/Initial/Follow-up — for federal contractors)
- JHA review and acceptance log
- JHA-to-toolbox-talk conversion guide
How you get it
This document is written and reviewed against the standard it cites, and it is ready now. The download link is emailed as soon as your payment clears.
Revisions included — if something about your operation changes what the document should say, reply to the delivery email and we will amend it.
Who buys this
- Construction contractors — any task with significant hazards
- General industry — manufacturing, warehousing, healthcare
- Safety teams building a JHA library
- Multi-employer worksites needing standardised JHAs
- Pre-work hazard assessment for any work activity
Frequently asked
What is a Job Hazard Analysis?
A JHA (also called Job Safety Analysis, JSA) is a systematic process for identifying hazards in a specific task. The work is broken into steps; each step is analyzed for hazards; controls are identified for each hazard. OSHA Publication 3071 describes the recommended process. JHAs are widely used in construction (where they're often required by GCs) and increasingly in general industry.
Is a JHA required by OSHA?
OSHA doesn't have a single standard requiring 'job hazard analysis' by name, but several OSHA standards effectively require hazard analysis: 29 CFR 1926.20(b)(2) (accident prevention); 29 CFR 1910.132 (PPE hazard assessment); 29 CFR 1910.146 (permit-required confined spaces); 29 CFR 1910.147 (lockout/tagout); and others. A JHA does not substitute for a permit space program under 29 CFR 1910.146(d), an energy control procedure under 29 CFR 1910.147(c)(4), or a process hazard analysis under 29 CFR 1910.119(e) — it references each where the task engages it. Federal construction (under EM 385-1-1) requires AHAs, which are JHAs with additional federal-specific requirements.
What's the difference between a JHA and an AHA?
JHA — used in general OSHA work, simpler format, no formal review/acceptance process. AHA — used on federal construction under EM 385-1-1, more rigorous format with required Three Phases of Control structure, formal review and acceptance by the contracting officer. Functionally similar but AHAs have more detail and federal-specific elements. Our separate AHA Federal Pack covers federal-specific AHAs.
Should JHAs be done for every task?
Best practice: JHA every task with significant hazards. OSHA Publication 3071 prioritises: high-injury-rate tasks; tasks with severe injury potential; new tasks; tasks that have changed; complex tasks. Most contractors maintain a JHA library covering 20-50 common tasks and add new JHAs as work changes. The 15 sample JHAs included in this template cover the most common tasks.
Does this work for ISO 45001 / ANSI Z10 management systems?
Yes. The risk-matrix approach in the template aligns with ISO 45001 and ANSI Z10 risk-assessment requirements. The format also works for IIPP hazard identification (T8CCR §3203 in California) and similar management-system requirements.