It's 6am. You've walked the site.
You know what's out there — the trench from yesterday, the scaffold going up on the north end, the new trade coming in today.
The crane that's been there since last week.
Now you're at the table with the JHA in front of you.
Steps — easy. Controls — you know them. You get to the hazard column and you write what you saw. Fall hazard. Struck-by. Electrical proximity.
You sign it. The crew signs it. Work starts.
Purpose of a JHA
A Job Hazard Analysis breaks a job into steps.
It identifies what could hurt someone, and lists how to prevent it.
OSHA says the hardest part of a JHA is identifying the hazards.
Get the hazards wrong and the controls don't matter.
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The gap
Sites change overnight. Rain hits. A new trade moves equipment. You look for the hazards in this chaos.
Meanwhile, something has shifted.
You walked past that crane every morning for a week.
Every morning, you were right. It was fine.
On day 8, you were wrong. The lean had been building since Tuesday.
That's not a failure of attention. That's how human vision works.1 The brain stops flagging things it has already decided are safe.2
AI has no day 8. Every photo is the first time it's seen that crane.
1 In controlled studies, humans failed to detect 69% of gradual visual changes — even while looking directly at them. Simons, Franconeri & Reimer (2000). Perception, 29(10), 1143-1154.
2 A study of underground mining workers found that the most experienced employees identified fewer hazards than novices — familiarity with the environment made them less likely to spot what had changed. Bahn, S. (2013). Safety Science, 57, 129-137.
Software didn't fix it
The JHA went digital. Same blank field — just on a screen instead of paper.
The better ones give you a dropdown. Pick a generic hazard. Check the box. Move on.
93% of JHAs have no place for photos or diagrams.3 No site context. Just words.
A dropdown doesn't know your site. It can't see what moved overnight or what's been there all week.
And one set of eyes — even good ones — can only see so much.
3 A CPWR analysis of 30 JHA documents found 93% were text-only — no photos, no diagrams, nothing visual. Memarian, Brooks & Le (2022). International Journal of Construction Education and Research, 19(2), 187-198.
How HUMUNGUS AI closes the gap
Before the crew starts work, snap the key areas — the trench, the scaffold, the overhead lines, the crane that's been there for a week.
HUMUNGUS gives you:
HUMUNGUS is the data source that makes JHA forms better.
Questions about your report? Talk to our AI chat for instant clarification.
HUMUNGUS sees the site with fresh eyes every time.
Free for individuals. $25/seat/month for companies. No extra hardware. Just your phone.
How to fill out a JHA
| Without HUMUNGUS | With HUMUNGUS |
|---|---|
| Human eye + memory | Fresh eyes every time |
| Fill in the blanks | Photo + exact OSHA citations |
| Time + manpower | Seconds, geotagged proof |
Ready to go bigger?
Connect to our API and skip manual entry. Reports flow straight into your system. Protect your crew. Save time and money.
Talk to us about API integration →The competent person still decides
OSHA requires a competent person for hazardous work. Someone who can identify dangerous conditions and has authority to fix them.
AI can't be that person. It can't stop work. It can't make judgment calls.
HUMUNGUS AI extends the competent person's view.
Find hazards before they find your crew!
Frequently asked questions
Is a JHA required by OSHA?
OSHA doesn't mandate a specific JHA form. However, the General Duty Clause (Section 5(a)(1) of the OSH Act) requires employers to identify and control recognized hazards in the workplace. OSHA strongly recommends JHAs in Publication 3071 as a best practice for hazard prevention. In practice, most general contractors require JHAs on site before work begins. Even where not legally required, a well-executed JHA demonstrates due diligence and can reduce liability exposure after an incident.
What's the difference between a JHA, JSA, and AHA?
Same process, different names. JHA (Job Hazard Analysis) is OSHA's official term from Publication 3071. JSA (Job Safety Analysis) is the most common term in private industry and means the same thing. AHA (Activity Hazard Analysis) is used on federal projects and Army Corps of Engineers contracts — it follows the same steps but adds a numerical risk scoring matrix. You may also hear PTP (Pre-Task Plan), which is typically a shorter daily version completed at the start of each shift.
What are the 4 steps of a JHA?
Per OSHA Publication 3071, the four steps are: (1) Select the job — prioritize high-risk tasks, new operations, or jobs where incidents have occurred. (2) Break the job into steps — typically five to ten sequential steps, not too broad, not too granular. (3) Identify hazards at each step — this is the hardest part and where most JHAs fall short. (4) Define preventive measures — specific controls for each hazard, not just "be careful" but exactly what actions to take.
How is a JHA different from a risk assessment?
A JHA is task-specific — it focuses on one job, broken into sequential steps, with hazards and controls identified for each step. A risk assessment is broader and can cover entire site conditions, multiple tasks, or longer timeframes like a full project phase. Think of it this way: a risk assessment asks "what are the dangers on this site?" while a JHA asks "what could go wrong at each step of this specific task today?"
Who fills out the JHA?
The employer is responsible for ensuring JHAs are completed. In practice, the foreman or supervisor fills out the form with input from the crew before work begins. OSHA recommends involving the workers who actually perform the task — they know the hazards and shortcuts that don't show up in a manual. The competent person on site should review and sign off. On union jobs, crew members typically sign acknowledging they've been briefed on the hazards and controls.
How often should a JHA be updated?
After a near miss or incident — that's the most critical trigger. Also when the job scope changes, when new equipment or materials are introduced, when a new trade enters the work area, or when weather or site conditions shift significantly. Many crews do a fresh JHA every shift as standard practice. The key principle is that a JHA reflects conditions at a specific point in time — when those conditions change, the JHA needs to change with them.