Cal/OSHA releases Model Workplace Violence Prevention Plan
3/5/2024
On September 30, 2023, Governor Gavin Newsom signed SB 553 into law, establishing a first of its kind requirement that will apply to nearly all California employers. Employers now have to have a Workplace Violence Prevention Plan (“WVPP”) in place by July 1, 2024. Thankfully, Cal/OSHA has now provided some guidance.
On Friday March 5th, Cal/OSHA Released several documents, including a model Workplace Violence Prevention plan. Which is one of the key elements of preparing for the new regulation. In addition, Cal/OSHA also released an infographic of key information that supports compliance with SB553. Some of the highlights include:
1. Preparing for the new law is going to require a multi-disciplinary team. While the language of the law states that the responsible person must be identified, this is much more than one person can handle.
2. You may have to explore technology to find tools and systems that allow you to quickly notify your staff in the event of a workplace emergency.
3. Off the shelf, canned training is not going to work. Your employees have to be given the chance to ask questions and must be explained any hazards that are specific to their jobs.
4. You are going to have to keep a log of violent incidents that is specific on what happened, the nature of the violence and still maintain confidentiality.
5. You will have to keep detailed records of all these activities.
We have established several strategic partnerships to help support your organizations Workplace Violence Prevention efforts. Our goal is to help you build an effective program that is also compliant with currently laws and regulations. If you have any questions please do not hesitate to reach out. Info@wvpexperts.com
About the Author
Hector R. Alvarez is a nationally recognized security expert who specializes in workplace violence prevention and intervention and is acknowledged by the Association of Threat Assessment Professionals as a Certified Threat Manager™. He is also a certified instructor in Mental Health First Aid by the National Council for Behavioral Health. He has an MS in Forensic Psychology with ongoing post graduate work. He has built over 30 years of workplace violence, behavioral threat management, domestic terrorism and crisis management experience serving as a Security Director protecting one of our nation's most sensitive critical infrastructures to working as a city Police Officer and as a professional security consultant.
Important note: The information in this article is not legal advice and may not address every specific requirement of the applicable laws. This information is intended to provide a general overview. We strongly recommend that if you have any questions you consult with your own legal counsel.
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