What is the term for a systematic approach to identifying and eliminating workplace hazards before they occur?

• A. Job Hazard Analysis
• B. Risk Assessment
• C. Safety Audit
• D. Accident Investigation

Answer: (A)

This item tests a proactive, task-focused method for preventing injuries. The term is Job Hazard Analysis. A JHA involves breaking a job into its individual steps, identifying hazards in each step, and selecting controls to eliminate or reduce those hazards before work begins. This focus on analyzing specific tasks to prevent incidents makes it the best fit for identifying and eliminating hazards ahead of time. In contrast, a risk assessment tends to assess overall hazards and their likelihood across a broader scope rather than detailing the steps of a single task; a safety audit reviews compliance of safety programs and procedures; accident investigation looks at causes after an incident has occurred.