California Workplace Violence Prevention Plan Creator

Most California employers must have a written WVPP. This includes businesses with 10 or more employees and any business open to the public, no matter the size. Some employers are exempt, such as healthcare facilities under other safety rules, law enforcement, correctional facilities, fully remote workers, and small workplaces with fewer than 10 employees that are not open to the public.

The requirement took effect on July 1, 2024. Senate Bill 553 was signed into law on September 30, 2023, and enforcement began immediately on July 1, 2024, with no grace period for compliance or training.

A compliant WVPP must identify responsible individuals, include employee involvement procedures, establish reporting and response systems, provide training to employees, identify and correct workplace violence hazards, conduct incident investigations, respond to emergencies, maintain a violent incident log, communicate with employees about safety matters, and coordinate with other employers when necessary. The plan must be specific to each work area's hazards.

California SB 553 addresses four types of workplace violence. Type 1 involves criminal acts by people with no business at the workplace. Type 2 is directed at employees by customers, clients, patients, or visitors. Type 3 occurs between employees and coworkers, supervisors, or managers. Type 4 involves someone not employed at the workplace but having a personal relationship with an employee.

Employees who work remotely from locations not controlled by the employer are exempt. However, hybrid employees or those working at employer-controlled sites must be included in the WVPP. They must also receive training and be allowed to report incidents without fear of retaliation.

Employers must review the WVPP at least once a year to make sure it is effective. It must also be reviewed and updated after any incident, whenever new hazards appear, or when deficiencies are found. Updated training must be given when changes occur.

Employers must maintain a detailed violent incident log for all incidents with information about date, time, location, description, perpetrator type, circumstances, violence type, and consequences. Records of hazard identification, training dates, attendees, trainer qualifications, investigations, and inspections must be kept for at least five years. Serious injuries or deaths must be reported to Cal/OSHA within 24 hours.

If violence happens, employers must:

• Provide immediate medical help and workers’ compensation coverage
• Record the event in the violent incident log
• Investigate quickly and document findings
• Inform employees about results and corrective actions

Ideally, all steps should be completed within 24 hours of the incident.

Create a WVPP that matches your workplace hazards. Assign responsible individuals, train all employees when the plan starts and every year after, and keep detailed records. Review the plan annually or after any incident, and involve employees in identifying risks and solutions.

Cal/OSHA offers a model WVPP template, fact sheets, and guidance documents on Department of Industrial Relations (DIR). Employers can also contact Cal/OSHA Consultation Services for free, confidential help with developing and maintaining a compliant plan.

Managers and supervisors are responsible for putting the WVPP into action. They must identify and fix hazards, lead training, investigate incidents, explain policies, and enforce rules fairly. They also play a key role in creating a respectful, safe workplace and addressing threats early.

Employers with multiple sites should create one main WVPP and then add site-specific details for each location. Each site must address its own hazards, training needs, and reporting procedures. Keep consistent documentation, share incident data, and ensure all worksites follow the same core standards.

Yes. Contractors and temporary staff working at your site must be included in training and reporting procedures. At multiemployer worksites, all employers should coordinate to ensure every worker understands their role, knows how to report incidents, and that all violent events are properly investigated and logged.