Report page 40

Developing sound programmatic infrastructure for a workplace BTAM program is important to creating an effective process for targeted violence prevention.

This infrastructure should include two components: policy and standard operating procedures (SOPs).

Organizational policy should establish the BTAM program, while the program's SOPs should outline the day-to-day operations and the roles and responsibilities for personnel involved in the BTAM process.

A policy establishing the organizational BTAM program should be formalized alongside or within any broader workplace violence policies that an organization already has in place.

Having a dedicated policy for the BTAM program can help to create a more comprehensive prevention program capable of addressing a continuum of behaviors and concerns.

Policy is important in establishing clear expectations and a foundation upon which the more granular details of the program can be built.

Some states have enacted legislation that requires certain employers to develop policies or plans to prevent workplace violence.

While not explicitly required by these laws, workplace BTAM policies can build upon these legislative mandates and further promote workplace safety.

on September 30, 2023, California passed Senate Bill (S.B.) 553, which requires most California employers to create and maintain a written workplace violence prevention plan.

The plan must be specific to the hazards and complexities of each work area, and employers are required to maintain a workplace violence incident log.

This legislation also sets standards for documentation, record-keeping, and employee training, and it mandates the violence prevention plan be written and easily available to employees.

Since the passage of California's S.B. 553, many other states have actively worked to establish or expand their workplace violence legislative requirements.