Workplace violence safety requirements just weeks away

We have been reminding you for the past eight months of the new California Labor Code sections 6401.7 and 6401.9 creating a July 1, 2024, deadline to have your workplace violence prevention program in place. This includes the need to create and provide (1) a detailed written prevention program, (2) a detailed violence incident log, (3) a detailed training program for all of your employees, and (4) procedures to make your log and program readily available and accessible to your employees. The new statute contains detailed requirements for each of those four steps. The requirements must be satisfied annually and must also be updated to respond to any act of violence that occurs on your premises before the year is out.

Cal/OSHA has created model plans, guidelines, and resources that can be a starting point for compliance, found at https://www.dir.ca.gov/dosh/workplace-violence.html.

This new requirement applies to almost every employer with 10 or more employees, or which is open to the public (law enforcement, correctional facilities, and medical facilities have their own, more stringent rules). If you have not already done so, give high priority to creating your plan, logs, training, and processes.