SB 553 – Establishes Workplace Violence Prevention Obligations

Under existing law, covered employers are required to have an effective injury and illness prevention program.  Effective July 1, 2024, Senate Bill 553 (SB 553) requires covered employers to establish, implement, and maintain, at all times in all work areas, an effective workplace violence prevention plan. The workplace violence prevention plan must be in writing and be available, contain specified information, and be easily accessible to employees at all times.  The workplace violence prevention plan may be incorporated as a stand-alone section in the employer’s written injury and illness prevention program or maintained as a separate document.

SB 553 also requires the following of covered employers:

• Record information in a violent incident log for every workplace violence incident.
• Provide effective training to employees on the workplace violence prevention plan, among other things, and provide additional training when a new or previously unrecognized workplace violence hazard has been identified and when changes are made to the plan.
• Maintain records of workplace violence hazard identification, evaluation, and correction.
• Create and maintain training records.
• Create and maintain violent incident logs and workplace incident investigation records.
• Make certain records available to the Division of Occupational Safety and Health (better known as Cal/OSHA), employees, and, if any, employee representatives.

(SB 553 amends, repeals, and adds Section 527.8 of the Code of Civil Procedure, and amends Section 6401.7 of, and adds Section 6401.9 to, the Labor Code.)