All California employers are required to have policies and practices in place to combat workplace injuries and illnesses. For the majority of employers, this comes in the form of an IIPP, also known as an Injury and Illness Prevention Program. Who exactly is required to have an IIPP? What needs to be included?
Important to note, this article covers information for employers who are considered “non-hazardous” by Cal/OSHA. A list of these industries can be found here. All other employers should contact our team for guidance.
Your IIPP should include specific information about your company. The requirements are:
Persons responsible for implementation of the plan
A process to identify hazards
Policy of safety for the company
Plan for periodic inspections and frequency
Plan to correct any hazards that are discovered that may cause unhealthy or unsafe conditions
Process for investigating injuries or origin of illness
Communication plan
Record keeping process and requirements
Your employees have the ability to request a copy of your IIPP at any time within reason. You should provide them with a copy within five days of their request. A hard copy should be provided unless the employee agrees to a soft copy.
If you employ 9 or fewer employees, your IIPP does not have to be written but you still need to communicate the above items to your employees. You also only need to maintain inspections records until a hazard is corrected. You also need to maintain documentation that each employee was provided with safety information for your worksite.
Training should be provided to your employees on the contents and expectations of safety listed in the IIPP. This training should happen when you implement an IIPP, when an employee starts with your company or is transferred to a new position with different safety requirements, and when there are changes in the workplace conditions.
Any illness or injury in the workplace that requires more than first aid will be investigated, recorded in your records, and reported to your workers’ compensation carrier and possibly Cal/OSHA. Keep an eye on future blog posts where we dive into this in greater detail.
Your consulting team is ready to assist you with implementing your IIPP. Contact our team to get started.