SB 553 Workplace Violence Prevention
The SB 553 Workplace Violence Prevention Course is designed to equip individuals and organizations with the essential knowledge and skills needed to recognize, prevent, and respond to workplace violence incidents effectively. This comprehensive course covers a range of topics, including identifying potential risk factors, implementing proactive measures, and developing strategies for crisis management.
Participants will delve into the various forms of workplace violence, including verbal aggression, bullying, harassment, and physical violence, gaining a deeper understanding of the root causes and contributing factors. Through interactive discussions, case studies, and practical scenarios, learners will explore techniques for de-escalating tense situations and fostering a culture of respect and safety in the workplace.
Key components of the course include:
- Understanding Workplace Violence: Examining the different types and manifestations of workplace violence, including their impact on individuals and organizations.
- Risk Assessment and Mitigation: Learning how to assess and mitigate potential risks through environmental design, policy development, and threat assessment protocols.
- Communication and Conflict Resolution: Developing effective communication skills and conflict resolution strategies to prevent conflicts from escalating into violence.
- Crisis Response and Emergency Preparedness: Formulating comprehensive plans and protocols for responding to violent incidents, ensuring the safety and well-being of all employees.
- Legal and Ethical Considerations: Exploring the legal and ethical implications of workplace violence prevention, including relevant legislation, reporting requirements, and duty of care obligations.
This course is suitable for professionals across various industries, including human resources, management, security, healthcare, education, and beyond. Whether you’re a frontline employee, supervisor, or organizational leader, the SB 553 Workplace Violence Prevention Course empowers you to create a safer and more secure work environment for yourself and your colleagues.
Join us in taking proactive steps towards preventing workplace violence and fostering a culture of safety, respect, and dignity for all.
About the Instructors
Robert is a practical employment attorney who represents businesses in wide range of labor and employment matters, including wage and hour class actions, claims of discrimination, retaliation, harassment, and wrongful termination, and workplace safety and health (OSHA) matters.
Robert is experienced in representing employers in OSHA matters from the initial OSHA inspection, all the way through an administrative appeal (trial) of OSHA citations. He is routinely called upon to assist businesses with workplace crises, such as catastrophic injuries and fatalities. He also advises employers on legal safety issues and OSHA regulations.
Prior to joining Ogletree Deakins, Robert served as an attorney for the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services, handling in-house labor and employment matters and previously, at a Sacramento area civil litigation firm, where he handled a wide array of employment related matters.
Robert received his juris doctor, cum laude, from the University of San Diego School of Law. During law school, he served as a judicial extern to the Honorable Eddie C. Sturgeon, San Diego County Superior Court, and as a corporate counsel intern in Jack in the Box, Inc.’s legal department.
He received a Bachelor of Science degree, with honors, from the University of San Francisco in Organizational Behavior and Leadership.
Karen is a shareholder in the Sacramento office and Chair of the West Coast OSHA Practice of Ogletree Deakins. Karen is originally from the state of Georgia, and after graduating with honors from the United States Merchant Marine Academy, she worked for Chevron Shipping Company for ten years – sailing as a ship’s officer on oil tankers, rising to the rank of Chief Officer with her Unlimited Master’s License as well as San Francisco Bay pilotage endorsements. She served as an officer in the U.S. Navy Reserve from 1987 to 2000. Karen was the highest ranking woman in the Chevron fleet when she left her seafaring life for law school. This maritime, heavy industry, and petroleum experience is unique among employment lawyers and brings a “real world” approach to working with management and achieving workplace safety objectives and litigation goals.
The last eighteen years, Karen specialized in defending employers in the workplace safety arena, responding to catastrophic incidents, and defending sexual harassment and wrongful termination lawsuits for California employers including construction companies, manufacturers, transportation companies, wineries, and media companies. Recent notable successes include a trial and appeal victory for a large national employer cited by Cal/OSHA for serious accident-related citations, catastrophe management at a remote worksite in California involving an electrical induction accident, and positive and critical win in Sacramento Superior court with a writ involving the independent employee act defense.
Karen was appointed to the Board of Pilot Commissioners for the Bays of San Francisco, San Pablo and Suisun by Governor Gavin Newsom on January 13, 2021. In January 2023, Karen was elected President of the Board of Pilot Commissioners to serve a two year term. Karen has been a community leader in Northern California taking leadership positions in a number of school boards and community organizations including schools, libraries and professional organizations. She is the founding counsel for the Committee for Equity in Women’s Surfing, which brought prize equality to women’s surfing by working closely with the leading big-wave women athletes and the California Coastal Commission and State Lands Commission from 2016 through 2019.
