Forget Stop Work Authority – Think Start Work Authority! How to Use Barrier Thinking Before Work Starts

Stop Work Authority has been used in industry for over 25 years to authorize employees to cease work if unsafe behaviors or conditions are present. This has undoubtedly saved lives and prevented injuries. But what would happen if we flipped the concept upside down and asked employees to start work only when the conditions are safe to do so? This session will explore a new concept that combines human factors, fatality prevention and barrier thinking into a powerful way to reduce risks. Fundamental to implementing “Start Work Authority” is the need to identify high-consequence risks, such as fatality potential events, and define how human factors are identified and mitigated before and during work activities. You’ll outline an approach to adapt Start Work Authority to your organization, as well as define the steps to achieve leadership support for this approach.