Identifying and Evaluating Hazards in Research Laboratories

9.4. How to Assess Effective JHA UseBecause the nature of work in academic laboratories is dynamic, JHAs should be periodicallyreviewed to ensure that they cover the current tasks occurring. The frequency of review willdepend on the work. Even if the work has not changed, it is possible that during the review processnew hazards that were not identified in the initial analysis are uncovered.It is particularly important to review your job hazard analysis when a near miss occurs or if anillness or injury occurs.There should be periodic review of content/effectiveness/scope of the JHA. Once a JHA is in placeand has been used in the laboratory environment, feedback from the users (laboratory workers andthe PI) and feedback from others (the institution’s EHS office, Chemical Hygiene Officer, auditorsfrom outside agencies, etc.) can be collected and used to improve the JHA. Continuousimprovement, particularly in such dynamic environments such as academic laboratories, applies tothe JHA process.Based on the circumstances, there may be indicators that the current JHA is not effective in the wayit addresses known hazards. New or revised controls might be necessary. Any changes in a task’sscope or the use of the laboratory specific JHAs should be discussed with all group members.Laboratory workers should be trained on each new JHA. If JHAs are not being followed, then areview of the laboratory’s health and safety strategy as a whole should be reviewed.Incorporation into daily activities will promote better use. There are apps that can create JHAs ontablets and smart phones. JHAs can be incorporated into electronic notebooks. Having establishedJHAs available in your lab can assist in training new personnel. Using JHAs can ensure that thetraining is consistent and that nothing is overlooked. Once a general JHA is developed for a process,it can be easily adapted for variations on the process (see the example for a neutralization processin this section).35