12 Aug Working Around the Public – JSA

Working Around the Public Job Safety Analysis (JSA)

 

Job / Task

Construction, maintenance, repair, inspection, installation, utility, and related work performed in locations where pedestrians, motorists, customers, visitors, residents, or other members of the public may be present or may approach the work area.

Purpose

This Job Safety Analysis (JSA), also known as a Job Hazard Analysis (JHA), identifies hazards associated with working around the public and establishes safe work practices and controls to protect employees and members of the public from work activities, vehicles, equipment, tools, materials, excavations, falling objects, dust, debris, and other hazards.

Personnel Qualifications

Employees shall be trained for their assigned work and shall understand the additional precautions required when construction or maintenance activities are performed where members of the public may be present.

Employees shall:

• Understand the work scope, public access routes, traffic conditions, work-zone boundaries, and emergency procedures.
• Maintain awareness of pedestrians, motorists, children, persons with disabilities, and others who may enter or approach the work area.
• Install and maintain required barricades, signs, fencing, cones, and other protective measures.
• Operate vehicles and equipment only when trained and authorized.
• Use spotters or flaggers when required by the work conditions or traffic-control plan.
• Keep tools, equipment, materials, cords, hoses, and debris secured and inaccessible to the public.
• Maintain professional conduct and communicate respectfully with members of the public.
• Stop work when public safety cannot be maintained or when established controls are compromised.

Required PPE

PPE shall be selected based on the work activity, equipment, traffic exposure, and work environment and may include:

• Safety glasses with side protection.
• Safety footwear with appropriate toe protection and slip-resistant soles.
• Work gloves appropriate for the task.
• Hard hat where overhead or falling-object hazards exist.
• High-visibility apparel where employees are exposed to vehicles, mobile equipment, or roadway traffic.
• Hearing protection where noise exposure requires it.
• Fall protection where required by the work condition.
• Respiratory protection when required by the hazard assessment and Respiratory Protection Program.
• Additional task-specific PPE required by the work activity or site.

PPE protects employees but does not protect the public; barriers, traffic controls, separation, scheduling, guarding, housekeeping, and other controls shall be used to prevent public exposure.

JSA – Job Steps, Hazards, and Controls

Step 1 – Plan the Work

Potential Hazards

• Public unaware of work hazards.
• Inadequate separation from work activities.
• Conflicting pedestrian or vehicle traffic.
• Emergency-access conflicts.
• Unanticipated public interaction.

Required Controls

• Review the work scope and identify how the activity could affect pedestrians, motorists, nearby businesses, residences, or public facilities.
• Identify public travel routes, entrances, sidewalks, roadways, parking areas, transit stops, and other affected locations.
• Determine required traffic-control devices, barriers, fencing, flaggers, spotters, or alternate routes.
• Schedule disruptive or higher-hazard activities during lower public-use periods when practical.
• Coordinate with the client, property owner, public agency, or other responsible party as required.

Step 2 – Inspect the Work Area and Surroundings

Potential Hazards

• Pedestrian traffic.
• Vehicle traffic.
• Uneven surfaces.
• Overhead or underground utilities.
• Limited visibility.
• Nearby schools, residences, businesses, or public facilities.

Required Controls

• Inspect the work area and surrounding public-access areas before work begins.
• Identify likely pedestrian and vehicle approach paths.
• Identify sight-distance limitations, blind corners, driveways, intersections, and other traffic hazards.
• Locate utilities and other site hazards applicable to the work.
• Identify conditions requiring additional barriers or supervision.

Step 3 – Establish the Work Zone

Potential Hazards

• Unauthorized public entry.
• Contact with tools, equipment, or materials.
• Falls into hazardous areas.
• Insufficient separation.

Required Controls

• Install barricades, fencing, cones, signs, temporary partitions, or other controls appropriate to the hazard.
• Use substantial physical barriers where entry could expose the public to serious hazards; do not rely solely on caution tape when physical separation is necessary.
• Clearly define the work zone and maintain it throughout the activity.
• Inspect barriers periodically and after conditions that could affect them.
• Do not allow the public to enter active work areas.

Step 4 – Establish Pedestrian Routes

Potential Hazards

• Pedestrians entering vehicle lanes or work areas.
• Trips and falls.
• Blocked sidewalks.
• Inadequate accessibility.
• Confusing detours.

Required Controls

• Maintain a safe pedestrian route whenever practical.
• Provide clearly marked detours when normal routes are closed.
• Keep temporary pedestrian routes free of tools, materials, cords, hoses, debris, and abrupt hazards.
• Maintain accessible routes where required.
• Use barriers to separate pedestrians from equipment and vehicle operations.
• Provide additional assistance or control where visibility or site configuration creates unusual hazards.

Step 5 – Establish Vehicle and Traffic Controls

Potential Hazards

• Vehicle collisions.
• Struck-by incidents.
• Backing hazards.
• Public vehicles entering the work zone.
• Poor visibility.

Required Controls

• Use the applicable traffic-control plan and required signs, cones, channelizing devices, barricades, flaggers, or other controls.
• Maintain separation between public traffic and work operations.
• Minimize backing whenever practical.
• Use spotters when operators cannot safely see the travel path or surrounding public.
• Maintain safe ingress and egress for work vehicles.
• Do not direct public traffic unless trained and authorized to perform traffic-control duties.

Step 6 – Bring Tools, Equipment, and Materials into the Work Area

Potential Hazards

• Struck-by incidents.
• Dropped materials.
• Blocked public access.
• Manual handling injuries.
• Equipment-pedestrian conflicts.

Required Controls

• Plan deliveries and equipment movement to minimize public interaction.
• Use designated staging and unloading areas when available.
• Use spotters where visibility is restricted.
• Keep the public outside loading and unloading zones.
• Do not leave tools, equipment, materials, or loads unattended where the public can access them.
• Maintain clear pedestrian and emergency routes.

Step 7 – Perform the Work

Potential Hazards

• Flying particles.
• Noise.
• Dust and debris.
• Moving equipment.
• Sharp objects.
• Public entering the work zone.

Required Controls

• Maintain work-zone barriers and separation during operations.
• Use guards, screens, containment, or other controls appropriate to the task.
• Control tools and materials to prevent movement outside the work zone.
• Monitor public activity around the work area.
• Stop work if a member of the public enters the hazardous area.
• Do not leave operating equipment unattended.

Step 8 – Perform Work Above or Adjacent to Public Areas

Potential Hazards

• Falling tools or materials.
• Overhead loads.
• Debris falling onto pedestrians or vehicles.
• Falls from elevation.

Required Controls

• Establish an exclusion zone beneath overhead work.
• Use toe boards, screens, debris nets, tool tethering, canopies, or other falling-object controls as appropriate.
• Do not permit the public beneath suspended loads or active overhead work.
• Temporarily close or reroute public access when adequate falling-object protection cannot be provided.
• Use required employee fall protection.

Step 9 – Control Excavations, Holes, and Openings

Potential Hazards

• Public falls.
• Vehicle entry into excavation.
• Unstable barricades.
• Children or unauthorized persons entering the area.

Required Controls

• Guard or barricade excavations, holes, trenches, and openings to prevent public access.
• Use fencing or substantial barriers where unattended conditions or the severity of the hazard requires it.
• Provide required covers or guardrails.
• Maintain warning devices and lighting where appropriate.
• Inspect barriers before leaving the area unattended.

Step 10 – Control Dust, Noise, Fumes, and Debris

Potential Hazards

• Public exposure to dust or fumes.
• Reduced visibility.
• Noise disturbance.
• Debris leaving the work zone.
• Complaints or interference with nearby activities.

Required Controls

• Use wet methods, local exhaust, HEPA-filtered collection, containment, or other controls as appropriate.
• Control debris and prevent material from being blown, tracked, or discharged into public areas.
• Schedule unusually noisy work during approved periods when practical.
• Keep chemical containers closed and control fumes and odors.
• Stop and reassess if emissions or debris are affecting the public outside the controlled area.

Step 11 – Maintain Housekeeping and Public Access

Potential Hazards

• Slips, trips, and falls.
• Blocked sidewalks or entrances.
• Sharp debris.
• Mud or materials tracked into public areas.

Required Controls

• Use clean-as-you-go practices.
• Keep public travel paths clear and in safe condition.
• Promptly remove debris, mud, cords, hoses, tools, and materials from public areas.
• Clean or barricade spills and slippery conditions immediately.
• Maintain access to entrances, exits, fire hydrants, emergency equipment, and other required facilities.

Step 12 – Interact with Members of the Public

Potential Hazards

• Distraction from work.
• Unauthorized entry.
• Conflict or confrontation.
• Requests for unsafe access.

Required Controls

• Remain courteous and professional.
• Do not allow public requests to override established safety controls.
• Direct questions or complaints to the designated supervisor or site representative when appropriate.
• Do not argue or engage in confrontational behavior.
• Pause hazardous work when necessary to safely address an approaching person.
• Contact appropriate site security or authorities when a situation cannot be safely managed by employees.

Step 13 – Leave the Work Area Unattended

Potential Hazards

• Public entering incomplete work.
• Unsecured equipment or materials.
• Exposed utilities, holes, or excavations.
• Vandalism or tampering.

Required Controls

• Secure tools, equipment, materials, chemicals, and temporary utilities before leaving.
• Guard, cover, lock, fence, or barricade incomplete work and hazardous conditions.
• Remove ignition keys or otherwise secure equipment against unauthorized use.
• Provide warning lights or other nighttime controls where required.
• Inspect the work zone before leaving to verify barriers remain effective.

Step 14 – Complete Work and Restore Public Access

Potential Hazards

• Residual hazards.
• Debris or uneven surfaces.
• Premature removal of barriers.
• Public entering before area is safe.

Required Controls

• Perform a final inspection before reopening the area.
• Remove tools, materials, waste, and temporary equipment.
• Restore walking and driving surfaces to a safe condition.
• Remove barricades and traffic controls only after the associated hazards have been eliminated and removal is authorized.
• Confirm normal public access can resume safely.
• Report unresolved conditions to the responsible party.

General Safe Work Requirements

• Protect members of the public from construction and maintenance hazards using controls appropriate to the severity of the exposure.
• Maintain clear physical separation between the public and active equipment, suspended loads, excavations, overhead work, and other serious hazards.
• Maintain safe pedestrian routes, vehicle routes, entrances, exits, and emergency access.
• Use traffic-control devices and flaggers in accordance with applicable requirements and approved traffic-control plans.
• Do not leave tools, equipment, chemicals, sharp materials, energized components, or other hazards accessible to the public.
• Maintain good housekeeping and prevent debris, mud, dust, and materials from migrating into public areas.
• Use additional precautions where children, elderly persons, persons with disabilities, or other vulnerable pedestrians may be present.
• Inspect barriers and public-protection measures throughout the work and before leaving the site unattended.
• Stop work whenever public safety cannot be maintained.

Training

Employees shall receive training appropriate to their assigned work and public-interface hazards. Training shall include work-zone protection, pedestrian and traffic awareness, barricades and signs, equipment movement, housekeeping, falling-object prevention, public interaction, emergency procedures, required PPE, and stop-work expectations. Flaggers, equipment operators, and other specialized personnel shall meet applicable training and authorization requirements.

References

• OSHA 29 CFR 1926.20 – General Safety and Health Provisions.
• OSHA 29 CFR 1926.21 – Safety Training and Education.
• OSHA 29 CFR 1926.25 – Housekeeping.
• OSHA 29 CFR 1926 Subpart E – Personal Protective and Life Saving Equipment.
• OSHA 29 CFR 1926 Subpart G – Signs, Signals, and Barricades.
• OSHA 29 CFR 1926 Subpart O – Motor Vehicles, Mechanized Equipment, and Marine Operations.
• Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD), when applicable to public roadway or pedestrian traffic control.

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