SB 553 Workplace Violence Prevention Management Overview

SB 553 requires California employers to formalize workplace violence prevention programs
A written Workplace Violence Prevention Plan (WVPP) and detailed incident documentation are mandatory for compliance
Dakota Software’s Security form captures workplace violence, facility security, and cybersecurity incidents in one place
Centralized workflows support compliance requirements, corrective actions, and trend analysis for continuous improvement
The Security form is automatically available to Dakota NextGen Incident Management clients
Dakota Scout clients can request activation by contacting their Client Success Manager

California Senate Bill 553 (SB 553) introduces new requirements for how employers must address workplace violence. The law significantly raises the standard, making it clear that prevention is no longer just a best practice, it’s now a legal obligation for most employers in the state.

Workplace violence is a leading cause of occupational fatalities in the U.S., and its impact goes far beyond physical harm. It affects morale, productivity, and culture. A structured, preventive approach is essential and SB 553 provides both the urgency and framework to act. It requires organizations to implement a written Workplace Violence Prevention Plan (WVPP) that outlines how hazards are identified and reported, how employees are trained, how violent incidents are handled, and how records are maintained.

One of the most important elements is the requirement to maintain a violent incident log—an internal record of threats or acts of workplace violence that must be kept for five years and made available to employees and Cal/OSHA upon request. Even for organizations outside of California, capturing and documenting security-related incidents enables pattern tracking, accountability, and risk analysis, all of which contribute to safer, more resilient workplaces.

An Extension of Incident Management Programs

While many organizations already track injuries, near misses, or environmental events, violent events and security incidents are often managed separately, if at all. SB 553 highlights the need to close that gap and integrate violence prevention into broader safety systems.

By logging and managing violent incidents alongside other safety events, teams can streamline compliance efforts and gain a clearer picture of risk across the organization.

That’s why Dakota Software has expanded its incident management solution to support the tracking and investigation of workplace violence along with cyber and physical security-related incidents. This update helps clients stay compliant while strengthening their overall safety programs.

Supporting Proactive Risk Management

EHS and HR leaders know that capturing workplace issues goes far beyond compliance. It’s about identifying risks early, analyzing root causes, and taking meaningful steps to protect employees, contractors, and the public.

Dakota’s incident management solution makes that possible by providing a centralized platform to:

Capture security issues along with injuries, near misses, and other events
Conduct root cause analysis and assign follow-up actions
Generate dashboards and reports to inform strategy
Meet regulatory requirements—like those in SB 553—with confidence

Built for Flexibility and Evolving Requirements

As regulatory expectations evolve, organizations need systems that can adapt. Configurable forms and workflows allow teams to quickly respond to new requirements like SB 553 without rebuilding processes from scratch.

Whether tracking workplace violence incidents, safety observations, or other operational events, Dakota Software’s incident management solution provides a flexible foundation for managing risk across the organization.

Next Steps

Whether you’re subject to SB 553 or simply taking a proactive approach to workplace safety, now is the time to integrate workplace violence prevention into your EHS program.

Already using Dakota Software?
The new security incident tracking capability is available now to all NextGen clients. Dakota Scout clients can request form activation by contacting their Client Success Manager.
A Dakota client but not using the Incident Management solution?
If you already rely on Dakota for regulatory tracking, compliance calendars, audits, inspections or other solutions, contact us to get started tracking and trending incidents.
Not currently a Dakota client?
Let us show you how our integrated platform can simplify compliance, reduce risk, and support all of your incident management and employee engagement initiatives. Visit our demo library to see the products in action.

By extending incident management to include workplace violence and other security-related events, and by bringing those insights together with existing EHS data, organizations can gain a more complete understanding of their risk landscape—and take more effective action to reduce it.