This course details the operational framework and psychological principles of the Stop Work Authority (SWA) and Stop Card system onboard vessels. Participants will learn how to effectively exercise their right and obligation to suspend any shipboard operation when an immediate hazard, unsafe act, or ambiguous condition is identified, regardless of their rank or department.
The training places a heavy emphasis on overcoming the authority gradient—the hierarchical barrier that often prevents junior crew members from speaking up—while equipping management officers with the leadership skills needed to support interventions and foster a non-punitive “just culture.” Deck and engine crews will learn how to systematically execute a stop-work action, conduct immediate on-site risk reassessments, implement corrective controls, and manage the safe resumption of operations, ensuring that personnel safety always takes precedence over schedule pressures.
