“Stop the work saves lives.”
This comment made by an employee after reading how Freeport’s stop work obligation is driving culture change at Chino is exactly what the company expects all employees to understand.
Especially on the heels of a first quarter that saw an increase in high-risk incidents with a total of 28 year-to-date companywide.
“It’s crucial for all of us to remember our obligation to stop work if it’s unsafe or unclear,” said Stacey Koon, Vice President-Safety, Health and Technical Training. “This is part of our commitment to safe production and is an expectation as well as a fundamental responsibility.”
So, just what is stop work?
“It’s the authority to stop work, at any time, in any location, and under any circumstance if you or the people around you feel unsafe or uncertain,” Koon said.
Stop work should be used at any point when controls are missing or found to be ineffective, or when something can’t be done safely, isn’t going right or the work changes.
While it may be a familiar phrase to most, when or how to use stop work may not be as easy, natural or comfortable for everyone.
There are various reasons for this, but one thing is certain: stop work can be used by anyone – employees, contractors, vendors, visitors, partners – and any time an employee feels unsafe or witnesses unsafe conditions or doesn’t understand the task at hand enough to feel safe.
“Everyone has the right to stop work or anyone else’s work and ask for a re-assessment,” Koon said.
This is reinforced in the company’s Safety and Health policy, which states “no job will be considered so important, and no schedule so urgent, that time cannot be taken perform work in a safe manner.”
When stop work is used, employees and leaders will discuss the perceived or identified job hazards to make sure they understand the work and assess how to better control any hazards.
Some recent examples of stop work in action include:
- Safford – An employee stopped a co-worker preparing to climb on a beam 20 feet above ground because something didn’t look right with the harness. Upon further inspection, the employee’s anchor point was incorrect making the fall protection ineffective. “My colleague potentially saved my life. I am grateful for a fellow employee looking out for someone else,” the employee said in an online post.
- Cartaret (Discontinued Operations) – During backfill and restoration activities along a proposed fence line, an employee recognized the rip rap they were installing could pose a tripping hazard in the future. Work was stopped and a decision made to install the fence before placing the rip rap to minimize associated risks.
- El Paso – An anode casting operator noticed a leak in the water jacket system on the vertical furnace. The supervisor was notified immediately and the furnace operation was stopped to avoid water and molten copper contact, preventing a potentially high-energy explosion.
- Chino – Site personnel rejected a shipment of 48-inch diameter corrugated pipe that arrived in a concerning configuration on the delivery truck. This eliminated the potential for an uncontrolled release of energy during the unloading process.
“These examples illustrate how the simple act of stopping work keeps our people safe,” Koon said. “Taking the time to stop work is key to avoiding safety incidents and to reinforcing our safe production culture. Most importantly, it can save lives.”