A violence prevention program is an employer's organized, usually written approach to identifying, preventing, responding to and learning from workplace violence, including threats and assaults by customers, coworkers or intruders.
A violence prevention program is an employer's organized, usually written approach to preventing workplace violence and responding when it happens. It covers how the employer identifies risks, puts controls in place, trains workers, handles reports and threats, supports workers after an incident and checks whether the program is working.
Workplace violence includes physical assaults, threats, intimidation and other threatening behavior directed at workers while they are on the job. It can come from customers, patients or clients, from coworkers or former employees, from strangers such as robbers or from people who have a personal relationship with a worker. Healthcare, social services, retail, transit, home visits and late-night or cash-handling work are among the settings with the highest risk.
In the United States, federal OSHA has no specific workplace violence standard, but it publishes guidance and can enforce under the General Duty Clause. Some states go further. California now requires most employers to have a written Workplace Violence Prevention Plan.
Under the General Duty Clause, Section 5(a)(1) of the OSH Act, employers must keep their workplaces free from recognized hazards that are causing or likely to cause death or serious physical harm. OSHA has used this clause to cite employers where workplace violence was a recognized, serious hazard and feasible ways to reduce it existed.
OSHA's main guidance document is Guidelines for Preventing Workplace Violence for Healthcare and Social Service Workers (OSHA 3148), last revised in 2016. It is advisory and does not create new legal duties. OSHA has also worked on a possible standard for healthcare and social assistance, but no federal workplace violence standard has been issued, and in 2025 the rulemaking was moved to OSHA's long-term action list.
California's Senate Bill 553 created Labor Code section 6401.9, which became enforceable on July 1, 2024. It applies to most California employers, with exceptions that include:
Covered employers must have a written Workplace Violence Prevention Plan, which can be a separate section of the Injury and Illness Prevention Program. They must also:
The law also requires the Cal/OSHA Standards Board to adopt a general industry workplace violence standard by December 31, 2026. A revised draft was released for comment in 2026. California is an OSHA State Plan state, so these rules apply in addition to federal guidance.
OSHA 3148 describes five building blocks that apply well beyond healthcare:
Leaders set a clear policy that violence and threats will not be tolerated, assign responsibility and provide resources. Workers help identify risks and design solutions, and they must be able to report concerns without fear of retaliation.
Review past incidents, near misses and security reports, survey workers and walk the site to find risk factors such as poor lighting, isolated work areas, cash handling and long waits.
Training covers the policy, warning signs, de-escalation, how to get help, how to report incidents and what support is available afterward.
Track incidents and threats, carry out an incident investigation after each event, and use the results to improve controls. Workers who are injured may also need to be recorded on the OSHA 300 log.
For employees who work alone or in the community, regular check-ins or lone worker monitoring can help make sure someone knows when a worker needs help.
A home health agency had several reports of staff being threatened during evening visits, and one nurse was assaulted by a patient's relative. The agency formed a team of nurses, aides and managers to review its records and interview staff.
The team added a screening step to flag homes with a history of violence, set up a check-in procedure with automatic follow-up if a worker did not report back after a visit and arranged escorts or paired visits for flagged homes. All field staff received de-escalation training. The agency logged every threat and assault and reviewed the program each year, adjusting it as new risks were identified.
There is no specific federal standard, but OSHA can cite employers under the General Duty Clause when workplace violence is a recognized hazard. Some states, including California, require a written plan.
Most do. Exceptions include workplaces covered by Section 3342, small workplaces not open to the public with fewer than 10 employees present, employees teleworking from locations the employer does not control, and certain law enforcement and corrections settings.
California's law describes Type 1 (by someone with no legitimate business at the site), Type 2 (by customers, clients, patients or visitors), Type 3 (by current or former employees) and Type 4 (by someone with a personal relationship with an employee).
Initially when the plan is established, then annually, and again when new hazards are identified or the plan changes.
Get medical care and support for those affected, record the incident, investigate what happened and update controls to prevent it from happening again.
Part of SafetyIQ's EHS glossary: plain-English definitions of workplace health and safety terms.
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