What can I do to plan ahead in case of a violent incident at work?

While workplace violence is often random and varied, a planned response is nonetheless possible. Additionally, effective July 1, 2024, most California employers will be required to address workplace violence under California’s newly enacted general industry workplace violence safety law. Under the law, covered employers will have a number of obligations, including developing and implementing a comprehensive workplace violence prevention plan (WVPP) either as a standalone document or as part of their required Injury and Illness Prevention Plan (IIPP), training employees on the plan, creating workplace violence incidence logs and various recordkeeping requirements.

Planning ahead for workplace violence is highly dependent on the specifics of each employer’s business circumstances. Some broadly applicable considerations, however, can decrease response time in the event of violence, possibly saving lives, reducing potential injuries and helping employees deal with the associated trauma as soon as possible. Concrete, easy-to-achieve measures include, for example:

• Placing "911" on the speed-dial feature of all office phones. If dialing "9" or some other key is necessary to get an outside line, ensure that it is programmed in along with "911;"
• Knowing the procedure in your county for obtaining a temporary restraining order against a violent or potentially violent person;
• Becoming familiar with specialized community resources, such as trauma specialists, legal counsel, and employee counseling groups. Have the phone numbers for these resources on hand in one place; and
• Identifying those individuals trained in CPR by placing a star next to their names on an interoffice telephone extension list.

The company may choose to pay for the annual refresher courses for these employees, and/or the basic course for other employees who wish to become trained in CPR.

California’s workplace violence law requires employers to implement and maintain a highly detailed and comprehensive WVPP. Read more about the Workplace Violence Prevention Plan in the HR Library and use CalChamber’s Workplace Violence Prevention Checklist to help create your WVPP.