As previously reported, effective July 1, 2024, most California employers must implement and maintain an effective workplace violence prevention plan (the Plan); training materials; and a violence incident log.

The law does not apply to ● employees teleworking from a location of their choosing and control; ● health care facilities covered under Cal/OSHA's Violence Prevention in Health Care regulation; ● law enforcement agencies; correctional facilities; and ● locations not accessible to the public where less than 10 employees work at any given time.

To assist covered employers, the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA) has released a model workplace violence prevention plan.
That model plan addresses the key topics:

• Emergency response procedures;
• Violence prevention, detection, evaluation and correction;
• Incident reporting procedures and post-incident response and investigation;
• Training and instruction; and
• Recordkeeping and violence incident log.

Cal/OSHA has issued an employer fact sheet regarding mandatory plans, violent incident logs, effective training programs, and recordkeeping requirements.

That agency has also published several other workplace violence prevention guidelines and fact sheets, including for agricultural operations.

Take-Aways:

Covered employers must adopt a legally complaint, comprehensive workplace violence prevention plan before the July 1 deadline.

For further information, please contact Tim Bowles, Cindy Bamforth or Helena Kobrin.

See also:

• Workplace Violence Prevention Plan - California Employers Must Implement Comprehensive Violence Prevention Plans and Training by July1, 2024 (November 17, 2023)
• Keep Employees Safe - Workplace Murders are Cal/OSHA Violations (June 30, 2023)
• Construction Accidents Kill Two with Resulting Large Fines against the Employers (December 28, 2018)

Cindy Bamforth
March 22, 2024