Under SB 553, enacted in 2023, all California employers — with some limited exceptions — must have a workplace violence prevention plan in place by July 1, 2024. Cal/OSHA has issued FAQs and other information about workplace violence and has also published a template plan that employers can use to prepare their plans.
Under Labor Code section 6401.9, “workplace violence” is defined as any act of violence or threat of violence that occurs in a place of employment.
A workplace violence prevention program and plan should include the following, among other elements identified in Labor Code sections 6401.7 and 6401.9:
- The names of persons responsible for its implementation.
- Effective procedures for employee involvement in developing and implementing the plan.
- Methods to coordinate implementation of the plan with other employers, when applicable.
- Procedures for employers to handle and respond to reports of workplace violence, while ensuring no retaliation against the reporting employee.
- Training provisions.
- Procedures to identify and evaluate workplace violence hazards that include inspections with the following frequency:
- When the plan is first set up.
- Periodically scheduled.
- After violent incidents.
- Whenever a new hazard becomes known.
- Procedures for post-incident response and investigation.
- Procedures that allow for plan review.
Healthcare employers are exempt from SB 553, although they are subject to similar requirements under Section 3342 of Title 8 of the California Code of Regulations. Other exemptions are listed in Labor Code section 6401.9(b), and include “[p]laces of employment where there are less than 10 employees working at the place at any given time and that are not accessible to the public, if the places are in compliance with Section 3203 of Title 8 of the California Code of Regulations.”
The template plan can be found here: Model-WPV-Plan-General-Industry.docx (live.com)
The full text of the bill is here: Bill Text – SB-553 Occupational safety: workplace violence: restraining orders and workplace violence prevention plan. (ca.gov)
Other resources can be found here: