SB 553 Compliance Checklist: What California Employers Must Do
Step-by-step SB 553 compliance checklist covering all requirements — WVPP, VIL, training, annual reviews. Print-ready for California employers.
Quick Answer
To comply with SB 553, California employers must complete 7 core actions: (1) create a standalone WVPP with all 12 required sections, (2) establish a separate Violence Incident Log, (3) conduct initial employee training, (4) set up annual refresher training, (5) implement hazard identification procedures, (6) create emergency response protocols, and (7) schedule annual plan reviews. Each action is enforceable by Cal/OSHA during any workplace inspection.
Phase 1: Written Workplace Violence Prevention Plan
Your WVPP must be a standalone document — not a section of your IIPP. It must include all 12 sections required by Labor Code Section 6401.9: responsible persons, employee involvement, coordination with other employers, report acceptance procedures, employee compliance methods, communication procedures, emergency response, training program description, hazard identification and evaluation, hazard correction, post-incident response and investigation, and annual plan review. Each section must be tailored to your specific workplace — generic templates with blanks will not pass inspection.
Phase 2: Violence Incident Log Setup
Create a Violence Incident Log (VIL) that is completely separate from your OSHA 300 log. Your VIL must capture every workplace violence incident including threats, verbal abuse, intimidation, and near-misses — not just events resulting in physical injury. Required fields for each entry: date, time, specific location within your workplace, type of violence (Type 1-4), detailed narrative description, classification of persons involved, consequences, immediate response actions, and follow-up investigation results.
Phase 3: Employee Training Program
All covered employees must receive training covering: your specific WVPP and where to access it, how to report workplace violence using your procedures, recognition of workplace violence warning signs and risk factors, de-escalation and conflict resolution techniques, emergency response procedures, and protections against retaliation. Training must be documented with date, duration, attendee names and signatures, trainer name and qualifications, topics covered, and employee questions with answers provided.
Phase 4: Hazard Identification
Document your process for identifying workplace violence hazards specific to your industry and site. Consider all four types of workplace violence: criminal intent (robberies, trespassing), customer/client violence, worker-on-worker violence, and personal relationship violence spilling into the workplace. Evaluate physical environment factors like lighting, access control, and isolated work areas. Document identified hazards and correction timelines.
Phase 5: Emergency Response Procedures
Create specific procedures for workplace violence emergencies including when and how to call 911, evacuation routes and assembly points, shelter-in-place protocols, lockdown procedures if applicable, coordination with law enforcement, communication procedures during and after an emergency, and designated roles and responsibilities during an incident.
Phase 6: Post-Incident Protocol
Establish procedures for after a workplace violence incident occurs: immediate medical care and scene safety, incident documentation in the VIL within 24 hours, investigation procedures to determine root cause, support services for affected employees, corrective actions to prevent recurrence, communication to employees about what happened and what changed, and WVPP updates based on investigation findings.
Phase 7: Annual Review Process
Schedule and document annual reviews of your entire WVPP. Reviews must also occur after any workplace violence incident. The review should assess whether the plan reflects current workplace conditions, whether training is current for all employees, whether the VIL shows emerging patterns, whether hazard corrections have been effective, and whether emergency procedures are still appropriate. Document findings and any plan modifications.
Summary
To comply with SB 553, California employers must complete 7 core actions: (1) create a standalone WVPP with all 12 required sections, (2) establish a separate Violence Incident Log, (3) conduct initial employee training, (4) set up annual refresher training, (5) implement hazard identification procedures, (6) create emergency response protocols, and (7) schedule annual plan reviews. Each action is enforceable by Cal/OSHA during any workplace inspection.
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