What Does
Prohibition Notice Mean?
A prohibition notice is a directive issued to an employer or a contractor, instructing them to stop work until a workplace hazard has been mitigated. It is issued whenever a safety inspector observes an activity with a high level of uncontrolled risk. The prohibition remains in effect until the risks have been adequately dealt with.
Safeopedia Explains Prohibition Notice
A prohibition notice is issued to put a stop to work that poses imminent or serious risk of injury or exposure to hazardous materials. These notices also note the conditions that must be met for work to resume, which can include repairing or replacing equipment, providing relevant training, or modifying the work process.
What's Included in a Prohibition Notice?
All worksites may be subject to random inspections by regulatory bodies. An inspection may also be carried out following an accident or in response to a complaint about a potential safety violaltion.
If a prohibition notice is issued, it will have four elements:
- A written warning that the activity must cease immediately
- Information specifying the nature of the risk and the regulations being violated
- Instructions on how to proceed, including means to rectify the problem
- Notification that criminal prosecution may follow
What Happens After Receicing a Prohibition Notice?
Since a prohibition notice means that an inspector has reason to believe that working conditions pose an imminent risk to the workers, a company that receives one can face some negative consequences.
The notice itself carries some direct consequences, like an interruption in production as a result of stopping work, the cost of mitigating the hazard, and penalties for failing to follow through with the notice's instructions.
Additionally, there can be indirect negative consequences to receiving a prohibition notice. These include harm to the company's image and reputation, greater difficulty acquiring new talent, and higher turnover due to employees seeking safer work opportunities.