Chamber Resources

Beginning July 1, 2024, employers of all sizes will be required to have a written workplace violence prevention plan, maintain a violent incident log, and provide workplace violence prevention training to employees. These requirements apply to nearly all California employers. Exceptions include healthcare employers covered by the state’s workplace violence prevention plan standard, remote employees working at a location not controlled by the employer, and worksites with fewer than 10 employees that are not open to the public. Complete information on the requirements is available at the Cal/OSHA’s Workplace Violence Prevention Guidance and Resources page, which includes helpful FAQs and a Fact Sheet. For questions and free technical assistance, employers should contact the Cal/OSHA Consultation Services Branch at (800) 963-9424 or by email at InfoCons@dir.ca.gov. Workplace Violence Prevention PlanEmployers must develop and maintain a written workplace violence prevention plan that all employees can access and that is tailored to address the hazards and corrective measures in each work area and operation. The plan must include mechanisms for involving employees, including the implementation of the plan, identification and correction of hazards, ongoing improvement of the plan, reporting of incidents, and training. The plan can either be incorporated into the employer’s existing written injury and illness prevention program (as a stand-alone section) or maintained as its own document. Employers are required to review the plan regularly and conduct periodic inspections to identify workplace violence hazards. Violent Incident LogEmployers must keep a violent incident log with specific information about each workplace violence incident. The information in the log must come from employees who experienced the incident, witness statements, and investigational findings. Personal identifying information (such as names and addresses) that would allow someone to identify those involved in the incident should be excluded from the log. The log must be reviewed annually, when a violent incident occurs, and when a deficiency arises.  TrainingEmployers are required to provide employees with training on the workplace violence plan when it’s first established and annually thereafter. Additional training must be provided when a new workplace violence hazard is identified or when changes are made to the plan. Any training materials must be appropriate for the employees’ language, literacy, and educational level. Action ItemsCreate a written workplace violence prevention plan, make it available to all employees, and provide training on the plan before July 1, 2024. Information courtesy of Southland Data Processing