COSS Job Safety Analysis (JSA) 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: When a job involves multiple workers performing different roles simultaneously, how should the JSA be structured?
- Create separate JSAs for each distinct role or task performed concurrently (Correct answer)
- Create one JSA listing all steps in chronological order regardless of who performs them
- Assign one worker to document all hazards for the entire group
- Use a generic JSA template that covers all multi-person jobs
Correct answer: Create separate JSAs for each distinct role or task performed concurrently
Separate JSAs for each role ensure that role-specific hazards and controls are fully identified without omission or confusion.
Question 2: Which element is MOST critical to include in the hazard description column of a JSA form?
- The specific way the hazard could cause injury or illness (Correct answer)
- The OSHA standard number that the hazard potentially violates
- The dollar cost of an injury if the hazard is realized
- The name of the worker most likely to encounter the hazard
Correct answer: The specific way the hazard could cause injury or illness
Describing how the hazard could cause harm helps workers understand the real consequence and take the recommended control seriously.
Question 3: A JSA for overhead crane operations should specifically address the hazard of:
- Suspended load swing and dropped load below the path of travel (Correct answer)
- Ergonomic strain from prolonged computer use by the crane operator
- Chemical exposure from lubricants applied to the crane cable
- Noise exposure from the crane's warning horn
Correct answer: Suspended load swing and dropped load below the path of travel
Suspended loads that swing or drop are the primary life-safety hazards in overhead crane operations and must be addressed in the JSA.
Question 4: What does the OSHA recommendation on JSAs primarily emphasize regarding their use?
- JSAs should be used proactively to prevent injuries before they occur (Correct answer)
- JSAs are mandatory only after an OSHA inspection identifies deficiencies
- JSAs replace the need for formal safety training programs
- JSAs must be filed with OSHA within 30 days of completion
Correct answer: JSAs should be used proactively to prevent injuries before they occur
OSHA promotes JSAs as a proactive tool to identify and control hazards before workers are injured, not merely as a reactive document.
Question 5: Which scenario BEST illustrates the benefit of including experienced workers in a JSA review?
- They can identify non-routine hazards that occur only under specific conditions (Correct answer)
- They can sign off on the JSA to satisfy regulatory documentation requirements
- They can estimate the cost savings from implementing recommended controls
- They can replace the need for a supervisor to observe the job
Correct answer: They can identify non-routine hazards that occur only under specific conditions
Experienced workers know the non-routine situations—equipment malfunctions, material variations, weather—that create hazards not apparent in routine observations.
Question 6: A JSA for electrical work should include which specific control to address the hazard of energized conductors?
- Lockout/Tagout (LOTO) procedures to de-energize equipment before work begins (Correct answer)
- Wearing non-conductive footwear as the sole protective measure
- Posting a spotter to watch for electrical sparks
- Using only plastic-handled tools rated for general purpose use
Correct answer: Lockout/Tagout (LOTO) procedures to de-energize equipment before work begins
LOTO is the primary engineering and administrative control required before electrical work, ensuring equipment cannot be inadvertently re-energized.
Question 7: How frequently should a routine, low-hazard job's JSA be reviewed at a minimum?
- Annually or whenever the job process, equipment, or environment changes (Correct answer)
- Every five years unless an incident occurs
- Only when OSHA requests it during an inspection
- Monthly, regardless of whether any changes have occurred
Correct answer: Annually or whenever the job process, equipment, or environment changes
Annual review ensures JSAs remain current, and any process, equipment, or environmental change triggers an immediate review regardless of the calendar schedule.
COSS Job Safety Analysis (JSA) 5
When a job involves multiple workers performing different roles simultaneously, how should the JSA be structured?