Conducting a Hazard Assessment and Using a Hazard Assessment Form

By Safety Operation Services.

OSHA requires employers to evaluate all jobs sites and work tasks to determine whether hazards are present, or are likely to be present, which require the use of personal protective equipment (PPE).

To help you complete this task easily and efficiently, we’ve developed a Hazard Assessment Form. It’s been designed to aid in the selection of appropriate PPE where known or potential hazards exist. Hazard Assessment forms must be completed and signed by the supervisor of the work area in order to comply with this OSHA requirement. Completed forms should be kept on file to document that the assessment has been conducted.

Personal protective equipment (PPE) for the eyes, face, hands, head, body and feet must be of safe design and construction for the work to be performed and be used and maintained in a sanitary and reliable condition. The supervisor of the work area shall be responsible to assure the adequacy, including proper maintenance and sanitation, of such equipment.

The personal protective equipment selected in the workplace hazard assessment form, with a few exceptions, must be provided by the employer at no cost to employees. Please be aware that PPE devices alone should not be relied upon to provide protection against all hazards, but should be used in conjunction with engineering, administrative, and work practice controls (e.g. machine guards, warnings signs, Standard Operating Procedures, etc.). In order to assess the need for PPE, a walk-through survey should be conducted to identify and evaluate hazards present in the work area.

The following 3 steps should be taken to complete the Workplace Hazard Assessment form:

1. Identify the types of activity being performed and the Hazards Present

2. Select Appropriate Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

Personal protective equipment should be selected that provides a level of protection greater than the minimum required to protect employees from the hazards identified during the assessment. Safety data sheets (SDSs) and manufacturer specifications can be used to help choose appropriate PPE.

Newly purchased PPE must conform to the updated American National Standards Institute (ANSI)/ International Safety Equipment Association (ISEA) or American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) performance standards.

Careful consideration must be given to fit and comfort. PPE that fits poorly will not provide adequate protection. PPE that fits well and is comfortable to wear will encourage further employee use. Multiple sizes and/or types of PPE may need to be purchased to accommodate all employees. If several different types of PPE are worn together supervisors must ensure that they are compatible.

3. Reassess Hazards

The principal supervisor of the work area must reassess the workplace hazards as necessary, by identifying and evaluating new equipment and processes, reviewing accident records, and reevaluating the suitability of previously selected PPE. The workplace hazard assessment form should be reviewed annually and updated whenever a piece of equipment, source, or process changes to warrant the use of new personal protective equipment.

Download the free Hazard Assessment Form.