Prioritizing Safety: When to Stop Work
Stop work authority is important to workplace safety because it empowers workers to raise concerns. When workers can decide to pause operations when unsafe conditions arise, companies reduce the risk of injuries, fatalities, and costly equipment downtime.
Creating and maintaining a safe workplace is a shared responsibility. Sometimes, stopping work is necessary to ensure everyone’s well-being. Recognizing when and why to take this action is beneficial for preventing accidents and maintaining a strong safety culture.
While OSHA doesn’t require stop work authority, they recommend that workers bring unsafe conditions to their employer’s attention, and set out guidelines for refusing dangerous work under OSHA Workers’ Rights and Protections.
Why Would Employees NOT Stop Work?
While stopping work seems logical in risky situations, there are many reasons why workers don’t. It’s important to look at those reasons when developing a stop work authority policy to understand what they may be up against.
For example, workers don’t always recognize when to stop work because hazards aren’t always obvious. Sometimes they lack proper training in identifying unsafe conditions, believing that minor risks are acceptable or part of the job. Others might fear retaliation or disciplinary action for stopping work, especially in high-pressure environments where productivity is prioritized. Additionally, workers may feel uncertain about whether a situation truly warrants stopping operations, particularly if they see others continuing to work. Without a clear stop work policy, strong safety culture, and management support, workers may hesitate to take action, potentially leading to accidents that could have been prevented.
I’ve heard a lot of stories about incidents that occurred because the work was not stopped when it should have been. There’s a lot to think about when creating a policy and considering what to include in training your workers about stop work.
Here are the five most common problems I’ve heard from safety professionals:
- Insufficient Staff: When specific expertise or a minimum number of workers was necessary to do a job safely, work still proceeded without them.
- Improper PPE/Equipment: When required PPE and equipment were missing or inadequate to complete the job, the work still proceeded.
- Disregarding Procedures (a/k/a “this will only take a second…”): Safety procedures were skipped, putting everyone at risk.
- Pushing through fatigue: mistakes were made due to not stopping work because of extreme fatigue.
- Hesitation to Stop Work: Workers reported concerns about retaliation, peer pressure, or feeling unsure about whether stopping work was justified.
Can you think of others? Share in the comments below.
How Does Stop Work Authority Align with TapRooT® Root Cause Analysis?
The stop work approach aligns with TapRooT® Root Cause Analysis by proactive hazard/safeguards/target identification, and emphasizing structured problem-solving, plus a commitment to continuous safety improvement. TapRooT® RCA is not just a reactive tool but is also proactive to help safety professionals recognize problems before they escalate. Documenting issues, and collaborating on solutions all align with TapRooT® RCA’s structured investigation process.
When work is not stopped when it should have been, you need to fix more than the immediate problem and understand why it happened to ensure it doesn’t happen again. TapRooT® Methodology goes beyond symptoms to uncover deeper systemic issues. TapRooT® RCA promotes fact-based, non-punitive investigations, focusing on solutions rather than blame. Likewise, encouraging workers to stop unsafe work without fear of repercussions supports a strong safety culture, where employees feel empowered to take action when needed.
Stop work is not about slowing productivity—it’s about ensuring that work is done safely, efficiently, and responsibly. Organizations that embrace stop work authority build stronger, safer, and more effective teams.
Join Us at the Summit to Share Best Practices
Learn more about common problems faced by safety professionals and how to solve them at the Global TapRooT® Summit, Knoxville, Tennessee, September 29 – October 3, 2025. If you’re looking to inspire your team to create a more supportive work environment, you’ll learn strategies to help transform your workplace into a space where people feel safe, valued, and ready to excel.
