Your Workplace Violence Prevention Plan May Already Be Out of Date

Two years ago, California employers scrambled to stand up a Workplace Violence Prevention Plan before SB 553 took effect. Then most of them filed the binder and never opened it again.

That’s the problem. Labor Code § 6401.9 isn’t one-and-done. It requires an annual plan review, annual interactive training tied to your actual plan, and documentation of workplace violence incidents—including threats, not just the punches that land. Cal/OSHA is now in its second year of enforcement. “We did a binder in 2024” is not a defense.

Two things employers keep getting wrong:

The plan has to be site-specific. A template pulled off the internet describes hazards you don’t have and ignores the ones you do. Labor Code section 6401.9 requires procedures tailored to the hazards and corrective measures for your work areas and operations.

And don’t forget the violent-incident log. It is separate from OSHA injury records and must document threats and other workplace violence incidents, even when no injury occurs.

And it gets harder soon. Cal/OSHA’s formal general-industry standard is working through the process now, with the Standards Board required to adopt it by December 31, 2026. When it lands, the bar rises.