Employers are required to maintain annual logs to document all violent incidents that occur in their workplace—these logs must be kept for a minimum of 5 years. Notably, incidents must be logged even if they do not result in injury, and all logs must exclude any personal identifying information that could identify any person involved in the incident. Employers must also provide copies of the logs to employees, their representatives, and governing entities upon their request. The logs must include at least the following information:
- Date and time of the incident
- Location of the incident
- Specific area within the location where incident occurred (breakroom, parking lot, other business, etc.)
- Workplace violence type as defined in SB 553 (1, 2, 3, and/or 4)
- Classification of who committed the violence (stranger, customer/client, employee, relative of employee, etc.)
- Description of the incident
- Circumstances surrounding the incident (usual duties, poor lighting, low staffing, unfamiliar location, etc.)
- Specific incident characteristics (physical attacks, weapon involvement, threats, etc.)
- Consequences of the incident (law enforcement involvement, injuries, actions taken to protect employees from further hazards, etc.)
- Who completed the log, including their name, job title, and the date completed.
Additional Resources
Cal/OSHA Webpage – Model Prevention plan including a violent incident log, information for employers, FAQs, and additional details on the specific requirements.
Leavitt Risk Management Center (RMC) Resources
The Leavitt RMC has a template prevention plan for workplace violence which includes a violent incident log and risk assessment questionnaire. The platform also offers an online interactive training that covers the types of workplace violence, warning signs and how to respond, and what to during and after a violent incident. Contact your Leavitt agent for information on how to get access to the RMC.
