The California Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA) has released a model workplace violence prevention plan and fact sheet to help general industry employers comply with a requirement that takes effect July 1, 2024.
The details
Effective July 1, 2024, Senate Bill 553 requires California employers to, among other things, adopt a workplace violence prevention plan (WVPP) that is in writing.
Cal/OSHA’s model plan is intended to help employers develop their own stand-alone WVPP. The model plan was written for a broad spectrum of employers, and it may not match every establishment's exact needs.
The model plan is a fillable template for employers to complete. Instructions in red font enclosed in brackets indicate where employers must enter their worksite-specific information.
Employers aren’t required to use the model plan. They may create their own plan use another WVPP template, or incorporate workplace violence prevention into their existing Injury and Illness Prevention Program (IIPP) as a separate section, provided it includes all the required elements.
Cal/OSHA also released fact sheets on workplace violence prevention for general industry and agricultural operations.
Note: Senate Bill 553 also has requirements for recording incidents, employee training, and recordkeeping that take effect July 1, 2024.
Next steps
Unless exempt, California employers should ensure compliance with Senate Bill 553 by July 1, 2024.
California employers should review the Cal/OSHA model plan to develop their own stand-alone WVPP to meet their establishment’s exact needs, as well as the fact sheets on workplace violence prevention.
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