Creating Job Hazard Analyses for Retail Distribution Centers

Antea Group was hired by the client to create job hazard analyses (JHAs) for one of their customers, a retail group. The client is an insurance provider who wanted to work with one of their customers to help prevent injuries from occurring during work activities. The retail group operates retail and e-commerce distribution centers in the Midwest. The challenge for Antea Group was to reduce risk and injuries for the retail group employees while onsite by providing employees with easy-to-understand instruction that highlighted potential safety issues.

Antea Group visited two of the retail group’s distribution centers to observe job tasks. The goal of the site visit was to meet with employees and operators, observe all steps of the job or task, ask questions about any potential risks, and identify mitigation techniques to reduce the risk of hazard. Antea Group observed approximately 15-20 job tasks at each facility and documented processes with notes and photos.

While photo documentation was crucial, the most important part of the project was the interviews with employees and operators. Antea Group asked employees specific questions about their job, such as how they could get injured performing each step. Antea Group also asked the retail group contact what the common injures were that occurred at each facility. It was important that the JHAs were tailored and custom to their needs, and that they addressed the common issues that were occurring at each facility.

Antea Group was able to provide custom, site-specific JHAs for each job task performed at the two distribution centers. JHAs included steps for each task, potential hazards, mitigation techniques, and photos of the task. The intent of the JHAs was to provide simple instruction for employees to perform their jobs safely. Antea Group provided copies of the JHAs in an editable format so that they could later be revised or updated. Additionally, if new tasks were to arise, the retail group would have the opportunity to create their own JHAs using the pre-existing JHAs as examples.

The retail group expressed interest in posting the JHAs at each job station, giving employees a constant reminder of how to perform their work safely, reducing the potential for injury.