Effective July 1, 2024, Senate Bill 553 requires California employers to adopt a written workplace violence prevention plan (WVPP), among other things.

The California Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA) has released a model plan and fact sheet to help employers comply with the requirement.

The Details:

Cal/OSHA’s model plan is intended to help employers develop their own stand-alone WVPP. The model plan was written for a diverse group of employers, and it may not meet every business’ exact needs.

The model plan is a fillable template for employers to complete. Instructions are provided and indicate where employers should enter their worksite-specific information.

Employers are not 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.

For the full text of SB 553, follow the link below.

Full details of the legislation can be found here.