Stop Work Authority

Stop work authority is the right and responsibility of every person on site to halt any activity they believe is unsafe.
No job is so urgent that it cannot be stopped to address a safety concern — production never takes priority over life.
Stop work authority applies equally to all workers regardless of experience, seniority, or employer.
When someone exercises stop work authority, the activity must stop immediately until the concern is resolved.
The person stopping work must explain their concern to the supervisor, who must investigate before authorising restart.
A positive safety culture supports those who stop work — exercising this authority must never result in punishment.
Common reasons for stopping work include changed conditions, missing controls, equipment defects, and unsafe behaviour.
If you feel uncomfortable about a task but cannot identify the specific hazard, that feeling alone is reason enough to stop.
Supervisors and managers must lead by example — visibly supporting stop work authority builds trust and confidence.
Every stop work event should be recorded and reviewed as a learning opportunity, not treated as a disruption.

Save lives	Stopping an unsafe activity prevents the incident that was about to happen — one moment of courage can save a life.
Your right	Every worker has the legal right to refuse work they believe is dangerous — this right is protected by UK health and safety law.
No blame	A mature safety culture treats stop work events as positive interventions to be celebrated, not disruptions to be punished.

Do

Don't

Stop any activity immediately if you believe it is unsafe for any reason.
Explain your concern clearly to the supervisor and the workers involved.
Support any colleague who exercises their stop work authority without question.
Allow the supervisor to investigate the concern before authorising a restart.
Record the stop work event and the actions taken to resolve the concern.
Trust your instincts — if something feels wrong, stop and check before continuing.
Lead by example — supervisors should visibly exercise and support stop work authority.
Use stop work events as learning opportunities during toolbox talks and briefings.
Encourage new workers to use their stop work authority from their first day.
Thank anyone who stops work — they may have prevented a serious incident.

DON'T ignore unsafe conditions because you feel pressure to continue working.
DON'T hesitate to stop work — a moment's delay could result in an injury.
DON'T criticise or undermine anyone who exercises their stop work authority.
DON'T restart work until the concern has been investigated and properly resolved.
DON'T leave stop work events unrecorded — they are valuable safety intelligence.
DON'T dismiss gut feelings about safety — they are often based on real risk.
DON'T expect only senior people to stop work — everyone has equal authority.
DON'T miss the opportunity to share stop work lessons with the wider team.
DON'T make new starters feel they must accept conditions that concern them.
DON'T tolerate a culture where stopping work is seen as causing trouble.

See also: Behavioural Safety Awareness | Challenging Unsafe Behaviour

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Toolbox Talk Record