Free JHA / JSA Template (Word & PDF)
A blank job hazard analysis form in the step, hazard and control column format of OSHA's own JHA template: job steps, the hazards of each step, and the controls for each hazard, plus a header block (task, company, location, date, PPE) and a crew sign-off table. Print the PDF or edit the Word version, no signup needed for the PDF.
Want the editable Word version?
Enter your email and we send the .docx right over. Nothing else.
What's in the template
- ✓ Header block: job/task, company, project/location, date, prepared by, reviewed by, required PPE
- ✓ The 3-column analysis table: numbered Job Steps, Hazards, and Controls, with ten rows and room to write
- ✓ Crew review and sign-off table: print name, signature, date, because a JHA is a briefing document, not a filing document
- ✓ US Letter landscape, so the controls column is wide enough for real answers
- ✓ Editable Word (.docx) version with the same layout, add rows as needed
Looking for a JSA form?
A JSA (job safety analysis) and a JHA (job hazard analysis) are the same document under two names, and an AHA (activity hazard analysis) is the name used on Army Corps and other federal projects. All three break one task into steps, list the hazards of each step, and assign a control to every hazard. This template works as a JSA form: write "JSA" in the title box if that is what your GC or client calls it.
When is a JSA legally required?
For most construction work, no OSHA rule requires the JSA document itself; OSHA recommends it and many GCs require one per task. The exception is offshore oil and gas: on the Outer Continental Shelf, 30 CFR 250.1911(b) requires a JSA to be prepared, conducted and approved, listing the job steps, the hazards of each step and the recommended actions, and the crew's immediate supervisor must conduct it, sign it and have everyone on the job understand and sign it.
How to fill it in
- Break the task into 6 to 12 action-based steps, in the order the crew performs them.
- For each step, name what can hurt someone, specifically. “Strut falls from overhead rack” beats “falling objects”.
- Assign a control for every hazard, concrete enough that a foreman can verify it, and cite the OSHA standard where one applies.
- List the PPE the controls assume in the header.
- Review it with the crew before work starts and collect signatures.
Full walkthrough with a worked example: how to do a job hazard analysis.
The blank form is the easy part
Identifying the right steps, the real hazards, and the controls with correct 29 CFR citations takes real time per task, and that is what GC reviewers actually judge.
| This free template | TailgateDocs, $29 | |
|---|---|---|
| Steps, hazards, controls | You write all of it | Written for your exact task |
| 29 CFR citations | You look them up | Verified against a real standards table |
| Time | An hour or two per task | Under 30 minutes |
| Format | Blank Word & PDF | Finished PDF, editable Word add-on |
| Revisions | On you | Free within 24 hours if a reviewer asks |
Common questions
▸Is this JHA template really free?
Yes. The PDF is a direct download with no email required, and the editable Word (.docx) version is free too, we just email it to you. Use it on as many jobs as you like.
▸What format is a JHA supposed to be in?
OSHA does not mandate a format. Its own JHA template (a Word file on osha.gov) uses columns for the step, the potential hazards and the control measures, plus a photographs column, under a header for the task, location, job titles, supervisor, team and approval. OSHA Publication 3071 explains the process. This template uses the step, hazard and control columns with a crew sign-off block.
▸Is a JHA the same as a JSA or AHA?
Yes, they are the same document under different names: job hazard analysis (OSHA usage), job safety analysis (common industry usage), and activity hazard analysis (the term on Army Corps and other federal projects, which use a specific EM 385 format).
▸Does OSHA require a JHA?
For construction in general, no. OSHA recommends JHAs (Publication 3071) rather than requiring the document itself. The one federal rule that requires a JSA by name is for offshore oil and gas work on the Outer Continental Shelf (30 CFR 250.1911(b)). In practice, many GCs require a JHA per task before work starts on commercial jobs.
▸Who fills out a JSA?
OSHA’s JHA template has a team field and OSHA Publication 3071 recommends involving the employees who do the work, with a supervisor. Under the offshore rule (30 CFR 250.1911(b)), the immediate supervisor of the crew conducts the JSA, signs it, and makes sure everyone on the job understands and signs it.
▸How often should a JSA be reviewed?
OSHA Publication 3071 says to review a job hazard analysis periodically so it stays current, and in particular after an injury or illness on that job, and to retrain the crew on any change. A fixed schedule such as every year is company practice, not an OSHA rule.
▸How many steps should a JHA have?
Six to twelve action-based steps for most tasks. Fewer and the steps are too broad to expose hazards; more and the task should probably be split into separate JHAs. The template has ten numbered rows and the Word version lets you add more.
Keep exploring
Filled JHA examplesHow to write a JHAThe JHA format, explainedSite-specific JHA, $29JHA generator, $29JHA examplesFree toolbox talks (EN/ES)