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An Injury and Illness Prevention Program (IIPP) is a written workplace safety program. The eight required elements include: Responsibility, Compliance, Communication, Hazard Assessment, Accident/Exposure Investigation, Hazard Correction, Training and Instruction, and Recordkeeping.
All employers in California, regardless of size or industry, are required by Cal/OSHA to create and implement an effective IIPP. This requirement was introduced in 1991 yet many organizations are under the false impression they are exempt due to size or low-risk industry. While the main elements are consistent for the IIPP, each organization’s IIPP should be customized according to their unique workplace hazards and industry risks. Our trained HR Consultants can partner with organizations to create an IIPP that not only meets the Cal/OSHA requirements but also is customized to its unique workplace environment, industry, and existing and recommended safety practices and procedures. We also offer to partner with the workers’ compensation carrier to confirm any exemptions and requirements that impact the IIPP and non-emergency workplace procedures and documentation.
An organization’s top priority should be to provide a safe working environment to ultimately protect their most valuable asset – their employees. If employees are not trained on safe work practices and procedures and provided with the resources, there is a higher likelihood of workplace injuries and illnesses.
In the event Cal/OSHA conducts an inspection, either randomly, after a serious injury or death, or after a complaint, a key document that will be requested to review is the IIPP. If the organization does not have an IIPP or it is found to be incomplete or ineffective, Cal/OSHA may issue substantial citations and fines.
By July 1, 2024, employers in the state of CA are required to create and implement a Workplace Violence Prevention Plan (WVPP) to comply with SB 553. The WVPP needs to be thoughtfully developed based on the organization’s unique workplace environment, taking into account aspects including the size of the organization, industry, and accessibility to the public. In addition to creating the WVPP, employees also need to be trained on the organization’s custom plan while following the training requirements outlined in SB 553.
All employers in the state of CA must comply with SB 553 by creating a WVPP and training employees with a limited number of exceptions. Exempt organizations are dependent on the number of employees working at any given time, workplace access to the public, remote work, healthcare facilities, law enforcement agencies, and several other facilities. Please refer to SB 553 for a full list of exceptions or visit our blog ‘Ready to Create Your Comprehensive Workplace Violence Prevention Plan?‘ for additional information.
With an overall goal of ensuring a safe work environment, the written WVPP must detail a number of specific procedures related to workplace safety outlined in SB 553. This includes policies created to promote the reporting and investigation of workplace violence incidents, the identification of risks, emergency response protocols, training and instruction for employees, and tools for plan review and modifications.
SB 553 mandates that interactive employee training must be held when the plan is first put in place, annually thereafter, and anytime a change has been made to the plan. Interactive training promotes dialogue among employees and allows them the opportunity to ask questions.
Interested in learning more about our IIPP and WVPP services? Contact us to learn more.
