The Great JSA Debate

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The Job Safety Analysis, or JSA, is a tool used to ensure a safe working experience. It is a document used to break down a specific task into detailed steps, along with corresponding hazards for each. For every hazard listed, a mitigative action must also be documented. The more details listed in the JSA, the more effective it will be in guiding the workforce in safely accomplishing the task at hand.

The process typically involves the crew working together to draft the JSA at the beginning of each work shift. A good supervisor who respects the process coaches and mentors their crew in identifying job steps, hazards, and corrective actions. After all information is documented on the JSA, the team reviews it as a group, addresses any questions that arise, and then initiates work, with all team members subscribing to the same strategy.

While the JSA process has proven effective, its success is often undermined by a debate that derails the strategy. The energy industry, like others, places serious emphasis on time management, and when production and progress are at hand, every minute counts. As a result, safety sometimes gets sacrificed for speed. When it comes to the JSA, time is viewed as being earned back in a certain sense by refraining from writing the JSA at the start of the shift and typing it out beforehand. And here the debate begins.

Hand Writing the JSA

When the JSA process originated, it was developed with the handwritten methodology. The process dates back to a time period before everyone carried or had access to an electronic device, such as a laptop. By requiring a new handwritten version at the start of each shift, not only was it an idea to identify potential hazards for each shift that could arise, but it was also an effective means of ensuring that time was being taken to complete the process.

JSA purists promote the handwritten method because they believe repetition reinforces the intake of information. Discussing the task at hand as a group and having all crew members participate is a successful way to ensure everyone remains aligned. By building repetition, the thought process focuses on removing complacency.

Typing the JSA

In every area surveyed, it is undeniable that it is a new oil field. For one, the oil and gas sector has metamorphosized into the energy industry. All areas of energy production have been consolidated into a single area of focus, and with the advancements made in renewables and the emphasis on grid resiliency, this makes sense. With the variation making up the new industry comes a new workforce. A younger generation of oil and gas professionals has entered the industry, and technology reigns as their predominant tool in their arsenal.

The JSA process has become revolutionized in the hands of the new energy industry professionals. Electronic devices and a streamlined thought process have been applied to the process, and as a result, many now type JSAs before actually entering the field and evaluating the work site before engaging in the process. In many cases, the JSA is actually written well before the job takes place during the pre-job planning phase.

While purists argue against this practice, new professionals counter that more time can be allocated to detail without compromising field schedules. Instead of rushing through the process, now crews can direct the time needed to perform the actual task without compromising the quality of the JSA. By taking the time required to compile the job steps, hazards, and mitigative actions, the pre-job JSA enables an adequate analysis of the scheduled work before it occurs and ensures that all potential hazards are adequately addressed to maintain a safe workplace.

The purists argue that potential hazards cannot be addressed until the site where the work will take place is actually walked. The belief is that you have to see it to uncover those hazards that could thwart work. Supporters of the pre-filled JSA counter argue that the repetition actually breeds complacency, allowing some to avoid the actual JSA process, knowing that others in the crew will complete it for them.

Looking past competing opinions

While both sides of the debate continually attempt to argue their opinions, the critical point on which the JSA process was built gets overlooked. The goal of the JSA process has always been to serve as a means of communication, encouraging crew members to discuss the work being performed.

By opening up communication, crew members draw on each other’s thoughts, opinions, and experiences to not only define individual responsibilities but also to identify hazards associated with job tasks. Review is the critical piece.

A handwritten JSA can be an excellent tool for opening communication and listing hazards, but if 100 percent participation is not achieved, the process falls short. People are less engaged, and as a result, a focused team approach is never accomplished. Furthermore, if the crew rushes through the process due to looming time constraints, all the details that could be applied to the JSA will have no value if they are not reviewed.

While the pre-filled JSA offers the chance to be robust in terms of detail, it too falls short if the crew fails to review it at the start of work. Every minor detail could be broken out to increase the number of job steps and further uncover potential hazards; however, if one person writes the JSA at the office and the crew signs it without reviewing it, failure becomes an expected outcome.

Companies and their crews need to focus on the review process. As a safety professional, buy-in becomes easier to gain when promoting a safe work culture if I am more open to ideas brought to the table. The JSA process is significantly improved by allowing handwritten versions and the pre-filled methodology.

I focus on the review piece. I accept either version, but I ensure the crew reviews the JSA as a group. The pre-filled version has been successful, and any issues that might have been missed during the writing process have been identified during the review. The handwritten JSA process has also been successful because anyone who doesn’t participate in the actual writing is pulled into the review process.

Safety professionals must evolve in tandem with the industry as it evolves. Looking back, the energy sector has undergone significant evolution, driven by the development of new ideas, processes, and advanced technologies. A safety culture is no different and must grow with the times. By embracing new ideas, we can achieve buy-in and continue to foster a safe work environment.

Author Profile

Nick Vaccaro

Freelance Writer and Photographer

Nick Vaccaro is a freelance writer and photographer. In addition to providing technical writing services, he is an HSE consultant in the oil and gas industry with twelve years of experience. Vaccaro also contributes to SHALE Oil and Gas Business Magazine, American Oil and Gas Investor, Oil and Gas Investor, Energies Magazine and Louisiana Sportsman Magazine. He has a BA in photojournalism from Loyola University and resides in the New Orleans area. Vaccaro can be reached at 985-966-0957 or nav@vaccarogroupllc.com.