Which statement best describes the difference between a Job Safety Analysis (JSA) and a Risk Assessment?

Which statement best describes the difference between a Job Safety Analysis (JSA) and a Risk Assessment?

• A. JSA analyzes each step of a task and defines safe controls; Risk assessment looks at the job as a whole to determine risk levels and prioritize controls.
• B. JSA is a synonym for risk assessment; Risk assessment is broader.
• C. JSA concerns only equipment; Risk assessment concerns only people.
• D. JSA is for contractors; Risk assessment is for employees.

Answer: (B)

The main idea here is how their scope and focus differ. A Job Safety Analysis breaks a specific task into individual steps, identifies hazards at each step, and defines the controls needed to perform that step safely. This makes it very practical for guiding how a task is actually done and what barriers you put in place for each part of the job. A risk assessment, on the other hand, looks at the job or activity in a broader view, evaluating hazards across the whole job, judging how serious the risks are by considering likelihood and consequence, and prioritizing which risks to address first. So the best description is that a JSA analyzes each step of a task and defines safe controls, while a risk assessment looks at the job as a whole to determine risk levels and prioritize controls. They’re related and can complement each other, but they aren’t synonyms—the JSA provides task-specific safety steps, whereas the risk assessment guides overall risk management and resource allocation.

The main idea here is how their scope and focus differ. A Job Safety Analysis breaks a specific task into individual steps, identifies hazards at each step, and defines the controls needed to perform that step safely. This makes it very practical for guiding how a task is actually done and what barriers you put in place for each part of the job. A risk assessment, on the other hand, looks at the job or activity in a broader view, evaluating hazards across the whole job, judging how serious the risks are by considering likelihood and consequence, and prioritizing which risks to address first. So the best description is that a JSA analyzes each step of a task and defines safe controls, while a risk assessment looks at the job as a whole to determine risk levels and prioritize controls. They’re related and can complement each other, but they aren’t synonyms—the JSA provides task-specific safety steps, whereas the risk assessment guides overall risk management and resource allocation.