A healthcare workplace violence prevention plan under California Code of Regulations Title 8, section 3342 (8 CCR 3342) is the written plan, violent incident log, training and annual review that the section requires of employers in the health care facilities, service categories and operations it lists. Integral Healthcare Solutions (IHS) drafts those documents with your safety lead for California operations.
Your leadership, employees and their representatives adopt and run the plan; your counsel confirms that section 3342 covers your operation. IHS is a consulting firm, not a law firm, and this page is not legal advice. This page covers California only.
Last updated: November 2026
What does 8 CCR 3342 require of a health care employer?
It requires covered employers to keep a written plan, a violent incident log, an annual effectiveness review, training and records, and it requires certain hospitals to report incidents to Cal/OSHA. We read section 3342, Violence Prevention in Health Care, as posted by the California Department of Industrial Relations (page opened November 2, 2026: https://www.dir.ca.gov/title8/3342.html). The page disclaims any representation that its text is current or accurate, so your counsel should confirm it.
| Subsection | What it asks, in IHS's words | What IHS drafts |
|---|---|---|
| 3342(a)(2) | Listed operations comply with (c), (d), (e), (f) and (h); general acute care hospitals, acute psychiatric hospitals and special hospitals also comply with (g). | Unit and service list |
| 3342(c) | An effective written plan, in effect at all times in every unit, service and operation, specific to the hazards and corrective measures for the unit, service or operation, and available to employees at all times. | Written plan |
| 3342(c)(1) to (c)(8), (c)(10), (c)(12) | Responsible persons; employee involvement; coordination with other employers; law enforcement assistance; reports and non-retaliation; supervisor compliance; communication; training procedures; patient-specific risk; post-incident response. | Plan sections |
| 3342(c)(9) | Assessment procedures for environmental risk factors, including community-based risk factors, for each facility, unit, service or operation. This includes a review of all workplace violence incidents in the facility, service or operation within the previous year, whether or not an injury occurred. | Hazard worksheet |
| 3342(c)(11) | Procedures to correct hazards in a timely manner. The employer takes measures to protect employees from imminent hazards immediately, and from identified serious hazards within seven days of discovery, where there is a realistic possibility that death or serious physical harm could result from the hazard. When a corrective measure cannot be implemented in that time, the employer takes interim measures to abate the imminent or serious nature of the hazard while completing the permanent controls. | Corrective action tracker |
| 3342(d), (e) | A violent incident log; a system to review the plan's effectiveness at least annually, in conjunction with employees and their representatives. | Log and review form |
Who must comply with section 3342?
Employers with employees working in the facilities, service categories and operations listed in subsection (a)(1): health facilities as the section defines them; home health care and home-based hospice; emergency medical services and medical transport, including these services when provided by firefighters and other emergency responders; drug treatment programs; and outpatient medical services to the incarcerated in correctional and detention settings.
A health facility is a facility, place or building organized, maintained and operated for the diagnosis, care, prevention or treatment of human illness, physical or mental, to which persons are admitted for a 24-hour stay or longer. For this section it also includes hospital based outpatient clinics and other operations located at a health facility, and all off-site operations included within the license of the health facility.
The section does not apply to facilities operated by the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, which must still comply with section 3203. A narrower exception covers three Department of Developmental Services (DDS) facilities scheduled to close by the end of 2021, which must still comply with section 3203 during closure; any DDS facility or portion of one not closed, or not planned to close, by then must comply with section 3342. Cal/OSHA's FAQ page says assisted living and residential care facilities for the elderly are not health facilities as the section defines them.
When does an employer need to build or update a plan?
- A listed operation has no written plan, or the annual review under subsection (e) is due.
- Under (e)(5), the plan is updated whenever necessary to reflect new or modified tasks and procedures that may affect how it is implemented, such as changes in staffing, engineering controls, alarm systems and emergency response; to include newly recognized hazards; to review and evaluate incidents that result in a serious injury or fatality; or to respond to information indicating that the plan is deficient in any area.
- In IHS's reading, a new unit, service or operation needs its own hazard and corrective-measure content.
What does the training requirement ask?
Under subsection (f), initial training goes to all employees working in the facility, unit, service or operation when the plan is first established and when an employee is newly hired or newly assigned to duties for which it was not previously provided. Employees performing patient contact activities and their supervisors receive refresher training at least annually. Employees assigned to respond to alarms or to confront or control aggressive or violent people receive further training before initial assignment and at least annually. Training not given in person must cover all the required subject matter and provide for interactive questions to be answered within one business day by a person knowledgeable about the plan.
Does Labor Code section 6401.9 (SB 553) apply to health care?
Subdivision (b)(2) of Labor Code section 6401.9 exempts health care facilities, service categories and operations covered by section 3342, and employers that comply with section 3342. The exemption is subject to paragraph (3), under which the division may, by an order to take special action, require an exempt employer to comply with section 6401.9 or to include exempt employees or places of employment in its compliance. Section 6401.9 read on leginfo.legislature.ca.gov, November 2, 2026. In IHS's reading, a campus mixing covered and other buildings may need to sort which rules reach which; your counsel decides that.
How IHS helps
IHS works in four steps: a gap assessment of your plan and records against the subsections above; a map of your units, services and operations; drafting the missing documents with your safety lead; and a read-through of the finished set against the section text.
IHS drafts the written plan, hazard assessment worksheets, violent incident log template, training outline, annual review form, recordkeeping schedule and, for hospitals, an internal reporting procedure sheet. You supply the site walks, incident facts, employee and representative participation, delivery of the training, and every medical, staffing and security decision.
The real limit: IHS holds no employee records, conducts no security assessment of your premises, investigates no incidents, and contacts no regulator.
IHS, founded in 2002, is led by Thomas G. Goddard, JD, PhD, former Chief Operating Officer and General Counsel of URAC. This program sits in IHS's compliance services practice line.
What to have ready
- A list of your units, services and operations (subsection (a)(1)).
- Any existing written plan, and where employees can read it (subsection (c)).
- Names or job titles of the people responsible for the plan (subsection (c)(1)).
- Past environmental assessments with their frequency, and the previous year's incidents, injury or not (subsection (c)(9)).
- Any violent incident log and the investigations behind it (subsections (d) and (c)(12)).
- Training outlines, attendance records and trainer qualifications (subsections (f) and (h)(2)).
The introductory call is free and is where IHS learns what you already have.
How does it compare with the alternatives?
If you are also a HIPAA covered entity, the written HIPAA program is a separate build; see HIPAA Privacy Rule compliance program. See also compliance services.
What does a California workplace violence prevention plan cost?
The cost has two parts, plus your own staff time. First, government fees: the section text we opened sets no fee for adopting a plan. Second, consulting fees: IHS does not publish a price for this work and scopes each engagement after a free introductory call. In IHS's reading, scope follows the number of facilities, units, services and operations, since the plan is specific to each.
What this is not
- It is not legal advice and does not decide whether section 3342 or Labor Code section 6401.9 covers your operation. IHS is a consulting firm, not a law firm.
- It is not a site assessment or security review.
- It is not a guarantee of how Cal/OSHA will view your plan, and IHS contacts no regulator.
Frequently asked questions
Who must comply with Section 3342?
Employers with employees working in the five categories that subsection (a)(1) lists: health facilities as the section defines them; home health care and home-based hospice; emergency medical services and medical transport; drug treatment programs; and outpatient medical services to the incarcerated in correctional and detention settings. Facilities operated by the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation are excepted and must still comply with section 3203.
Can the workplace violence prevention plan be part of the IIPP?
Yes. Subsection (c) says the written plan may be incorporated into the written Injury and Illness Prevention Program (IIPP) or maintained as a separate document.
What goes in the violent incident log?
Subsection (d) says the log includes, but is not necessarily limited to, the date, time, location and department; a description; who committed the violence; the circumstances; where it occurred; the type of incident; the consequences; and who completed it. The employer must omit personal identifying information sufficient to identify any person involved.
How often must the plan be reviewed?
Subsection (e) requires a system to review the plan's effectiveness for the overall facility or operation at least annually, in conjunction with employees and their representatives regarding their respective work areas, services and operations. Section (e)(5) adds updates, described above.
How long are records kept?
Training records are kept for a minimum of one year (subsection (h)(2)). Records of violent incidents, including the log, hospital reports under subsection (g) and injury investigations under (c)(12), are kept for a minimum of five years and must not contain medical information as defined by Civil Code section 56.05(j) (subsection (h)(3)). Hazard identification, evaluation and correction records follow section 3203(b)(1), except that the Exception to section 3203(b)(1) does not apply (subsection (h)(1)); we did not open section 3203.
Which hospitals report to Cal/OSHA, and how fast?
General acute care hospitals, acute psychiatric hospitals and special hospitals, under subsection (g), report incidents of physical force against an employee by a patient or a person accompanying a patient that result in, or have a high likelihood of resulting in, injury, psychological trauma or stress, whether or not the employee is injured, and incidents involving a firearm or other dangerous weapon. A report is due within 24 hours after the employer knows, or with diligent inquiry would have known, of the incident if it results in injury as (g)(2)(A) defines it, involves a firearm or other dangerous weapon, or presents an urgent or emergent threat to the welfare, health, or safety of hospital personnel, meaning they are exposed to a realistic possibility of death or serious physical harm ((g)(2)(B)). All other required reports are due within 72 hours.
Does Labor Code section 6401.9 (SB 553) apply to health care?
Subdivision (b)(2) of section 6401.9 exempts health care facilities, service categories and operations covered by section 3342, and employers that comply with section 3342. That is subject to paragraph (3), under which the division may, by an order to take special action, require an exempt employer to comply with section 6401.9 or to include exempt employees or places of employment in its compliance.
Does the consultant do the site hazard assessment or file with Cal/OSHA?
No to both. Integral Healthcare Solutions (IHS) drafts the hazard assessment worksheets and incident log template; your team completes them. IHS does not conduct security assessments of your premises, hold your employee records, or contact Cal/OSHA; a hospital that must report files its own reports.