What it means
Stop work authority lets anyone on site, from a new laborer to a visiting driver, stop work they think is unsafe. The job stays stopped until the concern is looked at and resolved.
It only works if it's backed up. The person who stops the job isn't punished, mocked or moved to a worse crew. The response is a conversation about the concern, not about the person.
Write down who gets called, how the concern is resolved, and who decides when work restarts. Keep it simple enough to say out loud on the jobsite.
Why it matters
The worker on the task often sees the problem first. If they don't feel free to say so, the job keeps going. Stop work authority is only real when it's used and respected.
What it looks like on a site
- At orientation, each worker hears that they can stop the job and who to call.
- A worker sees a changed condition, says "stop," and the crew steps back.
- The foreman and worker look at it together and decide what has to change before restart.
- The lead thanks the worker, and the event is written up as a good catch.
- Stops are reviewed for patterns, like the same hazard showing up on several jobs.
This is general information, not legal advice. Check the current rule and your own procedures. Back to the glossary