California SB 553: A practical guide for small employers

What is SB 553?

Senate Bill 553 (SB 553) is a California law that requires employers to establish, implement, and maintain an effective Workplace Violence Prevention Plan. The law was signed by Governor Newsom in September 2023 and took effect July 1, 2024. It applies to nearly all California employers, regardless of size.

The California Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA) enforces the requirements, which are codified in California Code of Regulations, Title 8, Section 3342.

Who must comply?

SB 553 applies to virtually all California employers. There are very limited exemptions, including:

• • Employers with fewer than 10 employees who work remotely and are not accessible to the public
• • Employees working in isolated locations (with conditions)
• • Certain healthcare facilities already covered by existing Cal/OSHA violence prevention standards

What SB 553 requires

Employers must develop and maintain a written Workplace Violence Prevention Plan that includes:

• Names or job titles of persons responsible for implementing the plan
• Effective procedures for accepting and responding to reports of workplace violence
• Procedures to ensure compliance with the plan
• Procedures for communicating with employees about workplace violence matters
• Procedures for identifying and evaluating workplace violence hazards
• Procedures for correcting workplace violence hazards
• Training requirements for employees and supervisors
• Procedures for reviewing the plan at least annually
• Procedures for conducting post-incident investigations
• A violent incident log for every workplace violence incident

Training requirements

Under SB 553, employers must provide workplace violence prevention training to all employees:

• • When the plan is first established
• • Annually thereafter
• • When new or previously unrecognized hazards are identified
• • When the plan is updated

Training must cover the plan's procedures, how to report incidents, how to recognize warning signs, and how to seek assistance during an emergency.

How SafeWork CA helps

SafeWork CA provides the tools to build and maintain your SB 553 compliance binder:

• • Answer questions about your workplace — we generate a site-specific WVPP plan draft
• • Log hazards and track corrections to completion
• • Record violent incidents in a privacy-aware incident log
• • Track employee training acknowledgments
• • Export your complete binder for inspections or audits