Preventing Workplace Violence in California

Workplace violence is defined as any actual or threatened act of physical aggression, intimidation, harassment or other disruptive behavior which occurs within the workplace. California recognizes four types of workplace violence:

(1) criminal intent,
(2) customer/client,
(3) worker-on-worker,
(4) personal relationship incidents. 

California SB 553 requires an employer to have a Workplace Violence Prevention Plan (WVPP), which entails employee training, risk factor assessment, and engaging in the prevention of workplace violence, and responsive actions. Employers must assure employees of reporting avenues and that staff will be free from retaliatory actions. 

Employees should be cognizant of behaviors that may signify potential threats, such as: 

• Aggressive or threatening language 

• Incidences of constant communicating outbursts or irritability 

• Indications of personal conflict or stress affording onto their work life 

• Unsafe handling of tools, machinery, equipment, or other harmful practices 

Being able to recognize these behaviors early leads to possible interruption, reducing the threats to the workplace. 

A WVPP is a plan that identifies how an employer intends to communicate their strategies, procedures, and responsibilities in order to address, prevent, and report workplace violence. It will identify emergency procedures, employee training requirements, risk assessment procedures, and communication procedures related to incidents in the workplace.

Employees should: 

Be sure to ensure their own safety. 

Follow established WVPP protocols.

Immediately report the occurrence to their supervisors or human resources.

Document when and where the incident occurred, who was involved, and what the incident was about. Prompt and accurate reporting will help to ensure employees are safe and will require compliance with California law.

This course is for all California employees and/or employees on-site in California, including human resources, and staff responsible for safety and training. The training and preparation will ensure each participant has an understanding of how to identify, intervene and respond in a workplace violence incident. 

Completing this course fulfills the California SB 553 training requirement to be prepared to understand the legal requirements, risk factors, prevention tips, and reporting procedures for incident occurrences. The training also provides documentation for audits and compliance verification for audits conducted by the employer.

Employers should document:

When training took place for employees\

The name of training materials and the training version used

Having documented record-keeping demonstrates compliance with SB 553 and prepares employees to respond safely to workplace violence.