Hazard Analysis

What Does Hazard Analysis Mean?

HAZAN (Hazard Analysis) is a systematic method for identifying and assessing hazards in the workplace.

The technique focuses on job tasks as a way of identifying hazards before they occur. HAZAN takes into account the relationship between the employee, the task to be performed, the tools at the worker’s disposal, and the surrounding environment.

Once uncontrolled hazards have been identified by a HAZAN analysis, steps can be taken to either eliminate the risks or reduce them to an acceptable level.

Safeopedia Explains Hazard Analysis

A hazard carries with it the risk of causing harm, wether through injury, illness, or harm to the environment. Early identification and control of these hazards is a critical component of workplace safety.

HAZAN is appropriate for all types of jobs in the workplace. However, priority should be given to jobs that have the highest illness or injury rates, or the potential to cause the most severe or disabling injuries or occupational diseases.

HAZAN should also be performed on jobs that are new to the organization or have undergone process or procedural changes.

Objectives of HAZAN

There are three basic objectives of conducting a hazard analysis:

• Hazard Identification: Cataloging the hazards associated with various work tasks, events, and circumstances
• Cause Identification: Determining why the event is hazardous and analyzing the sequence of events that could potentially lead to injury, exposure, or a near miss
• Risk Determination: Analyzing the risks associated with a given hazard

Steps to an Effective HAZAN Procedure

1. Define the scope of the work and observe workers carrying it out
2. Break down the job into its component tasks and observe each task being performed (input from employees who have performed the task can also be solicited)
3. Identify and document the hazards associated with each task by considering every possible scenario that could result in an accident and asking the following questions:
   1. What could go wrong?
   2. What are the potential consequences of an incident?
   3. How could it happen?
   4. What are the possible contributing factors?
   5. How likely is it for an incident to take place?
4. Note appropriate control measures for each task, such as engineering controls or personal protective equipment (PPE)
5. Identify any training requirements for carrying out the job safely
6. Review the analysis with the employees who perform the job

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