Stop Work Authority (SWA)

Purpose

To provide Stop Work Authority (SWA) empowerment and expectations. The District considers no activity to be so urgent or important that its standards for safety, health and wellbeing, or environmental protection may be compromised.

Stop Work for Safety. Safety is the District’s number one priority.

Applicability

All employees and contractors

Responsibilities

All employees have the authority and obligation to stop any task or operation where concerns or questions regarding the control of safety and health risks exist. Work should immediately cease and not resume until all Stop Work issues and concerns have been adequately addressed.

Any form of retribution or intimidation for exercising Stopping Work for Safety will not be tolerated.

SWA should be initiated for conditions or behaviors that threaten danger or imminent danger to person(s), equipment, or the environment. Situations that warrant SWA may include, but are not limited to the following:

Change – A modification or alteration that deviates from the way a job task is normally performed and may cause unsafe work actions or conditions.
Unplanned event – An event that distracts from the job task being performed and may cause unsafe action or conditions. For example, inclement weather, simultaneous work occurring nearby, or a community or property owner activity or engagement that could impact job and/or crew.
Observations with safety impact – Whenever an observed condition or situation may impact safety.
Incomplete understanding – Whenever team, crew or individual does not completely understand instructions, procedures, or ongoing activities. For example, making assumptions about job task steps, uncertainty over the order that job steps are performed, or differing opinions about how a job task is performed.
Relay information – Whenever a situation requires critical information to be relayed, an unsafe work action or condition may occur.
Observing new hazards – Whenever risks that have not been addressed during previous job safety analysis or tailboard are encountered or identified. For example, tasks requiring adjustments to work plan or a new PPE requirement.
Need to ask for help – Whenever a job requires additional people, or experience level of the person performing the job task requires support, an unsafe work action or condition may occur. For example, working to meet production demands and performing a two-person procedure alone, an inexperienced employee who does not ask for help, or not asking for help with a heavy lift.

Stop Work Authority is an integral component of the District’s safety culture and values. Stopping Work for Safety provides opportunity for team discussion and reporting of Safety Learning Opportunities (aka: Near-Miss).

Resources

The District’s Safety department is available for questions surrounding Stop Work Authority.

The Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) section 1.5 Safety supports Stop Work Authority.