Stop Work Authority: What It Is and How to Run It
Updated October 14, 2026
Stop work authority (SWA) is a company policy that gives every worker, at every level, the authority and the duty to stop a task they believe is unsafe, without fear of retaliation, until the hazard is checked and controlled. It is not an OSHA rule: no OSHA standard requires a stop work authority program. It sits on top of what the law does provide: the employer's general duty to keep the workplace free of recognized serious hazards (OSH Act section 5(a)(1)), a narrow right to refuse dangerous work under 29 CFR 1977.12(b)(2), and protection from retaliation for safety complaints and protected refusals under section 11(c) of the OSH Act.
What a stop work authority policy says
- ✓ Who has the authority: every employee, subcontractor and visitor on the site, regardless of title
- ✓ When to use it: any unsafe act or condition, a change from the plan, or simple uncertainty about whether a task is safe
- ✓ How to call it: stop the task, make the area safe, and tell the supervisor right away
- ✓ No retaliation: a plain statement that no one will be disciplined for a good-faith stop, even if the hazard turns out to be controlled
- ✓ Who restarts the work: a named supervisor, only after the hazard is reviewed and the control is in place
- ✓ How stops are recorded and shared, so the fix reaches the rest of the crew
- ✓ A signature from the owner or senior manager, because a policy only works if management stands behind it
How to run a stop work, step by step
- ✓ Stop: halt the task and tell the people affected, using a clear signal or radio call
- ✓ Make safe: put equipment in a safe state and keep people clear, without creating a new hazard
- ✓ Notify: bring in the supervisor or competent person for that work
- ✓ Review: agree on what the hazard is and what control fixes it; update the JHA if the task steps change
- ✓ Resume: restart only when the named supervisor authorizes it and the crew has been briefed on the change
- ✓ Record and share: log the stop (a near miss form works) and cover it at the next toolbox talk
- ✓ Thank the person who stopped the job, in front of the crew
What the law actually says
| Source | What it provides | What it does not do |
|---|---|---|
| Your stop work authority policy | Authority for anyone to stop any task, with a no-retaliation promise from the company | It is a company rule; OSHA does not require it or enforce it |
| 29 CFR 1977.12(b)(2) | Protects a good-faith refusal when a reasonable person would see a real danger of death or serious injury and there is no time to fix it through an OSHA inspection | It is not a general right to walk off the job over potential hazards (1977.12(b)(1)) |
| OSH Act section 11(c) | Bars firing or punishing a worker for safety complaints, including good-faith complaints made to the employer (1977.9(c)), and for protected refusals | A complaint must be filed with OSHA within 30 days of the retaliation (1977.15(d)) |
| OSH Act section 5(a)(1) | Requires the employer to keep the workplace free of recognized hazards likely to cause death or serious physical harm | It puts the duty on the employer, not a right on the worker |
Where OSHA standards already require work to stop
Some OSHA standards build a stop into the rule itself, and a good SWA policy points to them so crews know these stops are not optional:
- ✓ Trenching: when the competent person finds signs of a possible cave-in, a failing protective system or a hazardous atmosphere, exposed workers must be removed until it is made safe (1926.651(k)(2))
- ✓ Cranes: anyone aware of a safety problem must give the stop or emergency stop signal (1926.1419(j)), and the operator must stop when the signal link is lost (1926.1419(f))
- ✓ Confined spaces: the entry supervisor must end entry and cancel or suspend the permit when a condition the permit does not allow arises (1926.1205(e))
- ✓ Fall protection: a personal fall arrest system with damaged parts must be taken out of service (1926.502(d)(21))
Put it in your written safety program
Stop work authority belongs in the written safety program, next to the safety policy statement, the responsibilities section and the disciplinary policy, so it is signed, dated and trained like every other rule. TailgateDocs generates a complete written safety program for your trade for $149, and the policy section states who can stop work and who restarts it.
Common questions
▸Is stop work authority an OSHA requirement?
No. Stop work authority is a company policy. OSHA requires employers to control serious hazards (OSH Act section 5(a)(1) and the specific standards) and protects some refusals under 29 CFR 1977.12, but no standard requires a stop work authority program.
▸Can I be fired for using stop work authority?
Your company policy should promise that you will not. Under federal law, section 11(c) protects good-faith safety complaints, including complaints to your employer, and refusals that meet the 1977.12(b)(2) conditions. If you are punished, you have 30 days to file a complaint with OSHA.
▸Who can restart work after a stop?
The person the policy names, usually the supervisor or competent person for that work, and only after the hazard is reviewed and the control is in place. The worker who called the stop should agree the fix addresses what they saw.
▸What is the difference between stop work authority and the right to refuse?
Stop work authority is broad and comes from the company: anyone can stop any task they think is unsafe. The legal right to refuse is narrow: it covers a real danger of death or serious injury, no time for an OSHA inspection, and, where possible, a request to the employer to fix it first.
Official sources
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