California Senate Bill 553 amended the California Labor Code to create new requirements for addressing workplace violence. These new requirements include a July 1, 2024 effective date for employers to establish and implement an effective Workplace Violence Prevention Plan (WVPP).
As discussed here, to assist employers in meeting this regulatory deadline, the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA) released its downloadable Model WVPP. In addition to its model WVPP, Cal/OSHA has developed and recently released its Frequently Asked Questions about Workplace Violence Prevention in General Industry.
The FAQs cover topics such as:
- Definition of terms related to workplace violence
- Employer applicability (exceptions to specific employers or circumstances)
- WVPP
- Violent Incident Log
- Training
- Recordkeeping
- Enforcement deadlines and future standard proposals and adoption
Key clarifications include:
- Initial training on employer WVPP must be provided by the July 1, 2024 effective date; and
- Employers are responsible for making sure their WVPP is not generic, but “specific to the hazards and corrective measures for each work area and operation.”
Employers should also be aware that Cal/OSHA continues to work toward developing new regulations on workplace violence prevention in accordance with SB 553. In addition, statutory mandates require Cal/OSHA to develop and submit a workplace violence prevention standard to the Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board no later than December 31, 2025. Thereafter the Standards Board is required to adopt the standard no later than December 31, 2026.
Keep updated on regulatory progress by visiting Cal/OSHA’s Advisory Meetings webpage.