Site safety poster
Focus on the job
A reminder to give the task your full attention, put the phone away, plan ahead and take breaks.
Free download · A4 poster
Free stop work authority poster
A site poster that tells everyone they can stop work if they feel unsafe, when that applies, and the four steps to raise it. A4 PDF to print, and a PNG image for screens and inductions. Free to use and reuse.
- Format
- PDF and PNG
- Prints at
- A4 or A3
- Built on
- MHSWR 1999, regulation 8
- Cost
- Free, always
What the stop work authority poster says
One pageStop work if you feel unsafe
The headline, with the line that everyone on site has the right to stop work.
When you can stop work
A risk of injury or harm to you or others; unsafe equipment, tools or site; missing information, training or PPE; and pressure to carry on despite a concern.
How to report the issue
Stop work, tell your supervisor or site manager, report further if it is not resolved, and keep yourself and others safe.
The rules behind stopping work
Checked against the sourceProcedures for serious and imminent danger
Every employer must set procedures for serious and imminent danger. Those procedures must let people stop work and go straight to a place of safety.
Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, regulation 8Protection for the person who stops
An employee who leaves, or refuses to return to, a place of danger they reasonably believe is serious and imminent is protected. They must not be dismissed or treated worse for it.
Employment Rights Act 1996, sections 44 and 100Workers are consulted and engaged
On a construction project the principal contractor must consult and engage with workers on their health, safety and welfare.
CDM 2015, regulation 14How to use it
Put it where work starts
At the gate, in the site cabin and at the welfare unit, where the team reads it before the shift rather than after something has gone wrong.
Say it at the induction
Show the poster as part of the site induction, so everyone hears from a supervisor that stopping work is expected, not tolerated.
Back it up when it is used
Thank the person, sort the problem, and record what was stopped and why. That is what makes the next person willing to stop.
Asked most often
Questions about
Questions about
this poster.
What is stop work authority?
The right of anyone on site to stop a task they believe is unsafe, without blame, until the concern has been dealt with. The poster sets out when to use it and how to raise it.
Is this stop work poster free?
Yes. It is free to download, print and reuse, including on paid work and for clients, with no sign-up and no email address.
Is stop work authority a legal requirement?
Employers must have procedures that let people stop work and go to a place of safety in serious and imminent danger, under regulation 8 of the Management Regulations. A stop work policy is the usual way to meet it.
Can I use the poster image in our induction slides?
Yes. The PNG is free to use in inductions, toolbox talks, presentations and on your intranet. No conditions, no credit needed.
What size does it print at?
It is set at A4 and prints cleanly at A3 for a noticeboard.
More free downloads
All 99 downloads →
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A near-miss reporting poster encouraging the team to speak up about hazards before someone gets hurt.
Mobile phone safety poster
3 new messages. 4 hazards missed.
A reminder to stop and step aside before using your phone, then look up before walking on.
Next step
The briefing behind the poster,
The briefing behind the poster,
signed on the phone.
On the platform a RAMS is read on the operative’s own phone, in their own language, and signed against the revision. Toolbox talks are signed on the phone too, so the office can show who was briefed, on what, and when.