Your Complete SB 553 Compliance Hub

SB 553 is California Labor Code §6401.9 — effective July 1, 2024. It requires nearly all California employers to establish, implement, and maintain a written Workplace Violence Prevention Plan (WVPP).

Nearly every California employer with employees. Narrow exemptions include employers already covered by Cal/OSHA's Healthcare WVPP standard, certain telework arrangements where the location is not under employer control, and workplaces with fewer than 10 employees that are not open to the public.

Six required elements: (1) named responsible person(s), (2) procedures for employee involvement, (3) methods to coordinate with other employers, (4) procedures to accept and respond to reports without retaliation, (5) procedures to identify and evaluate workplace violence hazards, and (6) procedures to correct hazards in a timely manner — plus emergency response, training, and incident review procedures.

Cal/OSHA can issue citations up to $25,000 per serious violation and $158,727 per willful or repeat violation. Managers may also face personal liability, and affected employees may bring civil suits.

Initial training is required when the plan is first established and when each new employee is hired. Annual refresher training is required for all employees, plus additional training whenever new or previously unrecognized workplace violence hazards are identified.

Type 1: Violence by a stranger with no legitimate business at the worksite (robbery).
Type 2: Violence by a customer, client, patient, student, or other person with whom the employee interacts.
Type 3: Violence by a co-worker or former co-worker.
Type 4: Violence by someone with a personal relationship to the employee (domestic violence at work).

For every workplace violence incident: date, time, location; detailed description; classification (Type 1-4); who was involved; consequences; whether law enforcement was contacted; and any actions taken in response. Records must be retained for at least 5 years.

Your WVPP must address the specific hazards of each workplace. You may have one plan if it includes worksite-specific procedures, or separate plans per location. Either approach is acceptable as long as each site's unique risks are addressed.

Your Injury & Illness Prevention Program (IIPP) addresses general workplace hazards. The WVPP is specifically focused on workplace violence and has its own six required elements, incident log, and training requirements. Both are required — the WVPP does not replace your IIPP.

A focused 30-day implementation is realistic for most small-to-mid sized employers: Week 1 — hazard assessment and draft plan; Week 2 — designate responsible persons and finalize; Week 3 — deliver initial training; Week 4 — launch incident log and set review cadence.

A template is a starting point — not a finished plan. SB 553 requires the plan to be tailored to your specific workplace hazards, your responsible persons, and your procedures. A generic template that doesn't reflect your actual operations will not satisfy Cal/OSHA on inspection.

Inspectors typically request: your written WVPP, training records (who, when, what), the Violent Incident Log, hazard assessment documentation, and evidence of annual plan review. Missing or incomplete records are the most common citation triggers.