Free JSA Template (JHA / JSEA) for Australian Trades

What a JSA is, and what it isn't

• Safe Work Australia treats a JSA as generally different from a SWMS. A SWMS is required for high risk construction work under the WHS Regulations.
• WorkSafe Victoria says JSAs aren't required by legislation, though many businesses also use them.
• A JSA doesn't replace a SWMS where one is required. Check your state regulator and your principal contractor's rules.

Not sure whether your job needs a SWMS? Read what a SWMS is and when it's required.

JSA, JHA and JSEA: same idea, different names

• JSA (job safety analysis) and JHA (job hazard analysis) are two names for the same method: break the job into stages, find the hazard in each one, and set a control. JHA is the name OSHA uses in the US.
• JSEA (job safety and environmental analysis) works the same way but also covers environmental impacts such as spills, waste and runoff. It is common in mining, energy and construction.
• The free template covers safety hazards. If your site asks for a JSEA, add the environmental hazards to the hazards column, and check what your site or client requires.

What goes in a JSA

• The job or task, the site, and who is doing it
• Each stage of the job, in order
• The hazard at each stage
• The control for each hazard, and who is responsible for it
• The residual risk rating once the controls are in place
• Sign-off and date from everyone involved

Filled-in JSA example

Example only, not for use as your own JSA. This is the free template filled in for a gutter replacement on a single-storey house. Click the image to enlarge it.

Your own JSA should reflect the actual job and site conditions, with the risk ratings and controls reviewed by the people doing the work.

How to fill one in

1. Describe the job in a line.
2. List each stage in the order it happens.
3. Think through what could go wrong at every stage.
4. Write the control for each hazard and who is responsible, then rate the risk that remains.
5. Have everyone on the job read, sign and date it before starting.

Skip the blank page

Inside the Shadow Forms app, the AI JSA tool drafts the bulk of a JSA from a description of the job. You then review it, add or adjust the residual risk ratings and control measures, and sign and date it before starting the task. Speed depends on your connection and device.

Forms also work offline, every completed one lands on your dashboard, and any form can be duplicated as a starting point for the next job. See the app, or read about the AI-powered JSA for skilled trades.

Need a SWMS instead? Get the free SWMS template.