Cal/OSHA Releases revised draft Workplace Violence Prevention General Industry Standard

Cal/OSHA has restarted its efforts to establish a Workplace Violence Prevention Standard for all industries in California, one is already in place for the healthcare industry. The most recent draft was released a few weeks ago. Workplace Violence Prevention in All Industries – May 17, 2022

The heart of the proposed regulations requires that employers establish, implement, and maintain an effective Workplace Violence Prevention Program (WVPP). “Effective” is a keyword in these regulations as it directly influences not only the items that must be included but the organizations’ ability to show that the items are in place. Some highlights include:

• Workplace Violence Prevention Plan

  • Person responsible for implementing the plan

  • Employee involvement in developing plan

  • How the plan will be implemented

  • Threat intake process

  • Compliance

  • Communications strategy

  • Training strategy

  • Hazard identification and timely correction

  • Post incident investigation

• Training

  • Education and language appropriate

• Record keeping

  • Violent Incident Log

  • Identified hazards 1 year

  • Training records 1 year

To be clear there is no specific timeline for the rule-making process to be completed. Cal/OSHA had been working through the process prior to the pandemic. What is clear is that given the national attention and concern regarding violence in our communities, it is a safe assumption that this initiative will receive continued focus. Cal/OSHA invited interested parties to submit written comments on the draft regulations by July 18, 2022.

About the Author:

Mr. Hector Alvarez is a nationally recognized security expert who specializes in violence prevention and is recognized 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 holds a BS in Criminal Justice and an MS in Forensic Psychology. He has built over 25 years of threat management, security, 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.

Alvarez Associates LLC | Folsom, CA 95630 | 916-293-8852