Introduction
The Stop Work Authority is a key part of Critical Risk Management. It gives every worker the right and responsibility to stop work when a critical control is missing, ineffective, or cannot be verified.
When a critical risk is present, work must not continue unless the required critical controls are in place and working as intended.
Stopping work is not a failure. It is a sign that CRM is working.
Why Stop Work Authority Matters
Critical controls are in place to prevent serious injury and fatality.
If a critical control is missing or inadequate, the risk increases. Continuing the task may expose people to a fatal or life-changing event.
Stop Work Authority helps the team pause the task, understand the risk, correct the issue, and only restart when it is safe to do so.
When Work Must Stop
Work must stop when:
A critical control is missing.
A critical control is damaged.
A critical control is not effective.
A required critical control cannot be verified.
A checklist question is answered “No.”
A new critical risk is identified during the task.
Work must remain stopped until the control is corrected, verified, and effective. In some cases, work may continue only if alternative critical controls are established and verified.
Supporting Workers Who Stop Work
Workers must feel confident that they will be supported when they stop work for a critical risk issue.
Leaders, supervisors, and managers play an important role in building this confidence. They must make it clear that stopping unsafe work is expected, supported, and respected.
When a worker identifies a missing or ineffective critical control, leaders should thank them, listen to the concern, and help resolve the issue.
This creates a culture where people are willing to speak up before someone is harmed.
The Role of Leaders
Leaders help make Stop Work Authority effective by:
Encouraging workers to stop work when critical controls are not in place.
Responding positively when someone raises a concern.
Making sure the issue is corrected before work continues.
Removing pressure to “just get the job done.”
Recognizing the team when they identify and fix a serious risk.
Using stopped work events as learning opportunities.
Managers should openly support Stop Work Authority and reinforce that preventing a serious injury or fatality is always more important than short-term productivity.
Celebrating the Stop
Finding a missing or ineffective critical control should be treated as a success.
It means the team identified a serious risk before an incident occurred.
Recognizing the team for stopping work helps build trust and encourages others to act when they see something unsafe.
A simple message can be powerful:
“Thank you for stopping the job. You may have prevented someone from being seriously injured or killed.”
Summary
Stop Work Authority protects people from serious injury and fatality.
When a critical control is missing, ineffective, or cannot be verified, work must stop. Work may only restart when the control is corrected, verified, and effective.
Leaders must actively support workers who stop work. A strong Stop Work culture helps the team speak up, fix controls, and prevent fatal events before they happen.