Manhattan Beach, CA

Sherry M.
Kidd

Founder & Principal Consultant  ·  SMK Advisory Group

I don't just know the regulations.
I've lived them.

Work With Us → Learn More
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Your Photo Here
25+
Years Public Health
13+
Years Safety
8
Industries
Who I Am

A rare combination of
people and policy

🖼️

Your Photo Here

Sherry M. Kidd
Founder & Principal Consultant

Most safety consultants know compliance. I know people. After more than 25 years in public health, program management, and education partnerships — and over 13 years building and managing workplace safety programs across Southern California — I founded SMK Advisory Group to bring something different to the table.

My career began in public health and social services, where I co-founded programs, directed federally funded initiatives, and learned that the most important thing any organization can do is take care of the people inside it. That foundation shapes everything I do as a safety consultant.

Since 2012, I have built, managed, and maintained safety compliance programs across 10+ residential and community-based sites, trained hundreds of employees, and navigated the full complexity of Cal/OSHA requirements — including SB 553.

"I started SMK Advisory Group because I saw too many good businesses exposed to serious risk simply because no one had built them the programs they were legally required to have. That's the gap I fill."

2025 — Present
Founder & Principal Consultant
SMK Advisory Group · Manhattan Beach, CA
2012 — Present
Health & Safety Manager
Multi-Site Nonprofit · Southern California
18 Years
Director, Minority Training Program in Cancer Control Research
UCLA Fielding School of Public Health · NCI-Funded
Founding
Co-Founder, UGROW Program
Samuel Oschin Cancer Center, Cedars-Sinai · 8 CSU Campus Partnerships
01
People First
Compliance isn't paperwork. It's protection. Every plan we build is designed to keep real people safe in real workplaces.
02
Built For You
Every document is built for your specific business, workforce, and risk environment — customized to reflect how you actually operate.
03
Always Current
Cal/OSHA requires annual updates. We build that into everything — so your plans are always current, accurate, and inspection-ready.
What We Do

Compliance programs that
actually work

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Injury & Illness Prevention Program
California's foundational workplace safety requirement. Required for every employer with at least one W-2 employee. Customized to your industry and work environment.
Included in all build-outs
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Workplace Violence Prevention Plan
SB 553 mandates a WVPP for virtually all California employers. We build plans that meet the interactive training, incident log, and site-specific requirements.
From $1,000 standalone
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Emergency Action Plans
Fire evacuation, emergency response, earthquake preparedness, and drill documentation — tailored to your facility and occupancy type.
Included in all build-outs
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Employee Safety Training
Annual interactive SB 553 retraining, new hire onboarding, and Training Handoff Sessions that empower your team to self-manage ongoing compliance.
From $500 per session
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Ongoing Compliance Retainer
Monthly monitoring, annual plan reviews, incident log oversight, retraining facilitation, and on-call advisory — so you're never caught unprepared.
From $500/month
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Specialty Plans
Heat Illness Prevention, Hazard Communication, Ergonomics, Remote Work Safety Policies, and CCL & DCFS licensing compliance.
Custom pricing
Who We Serve

Eight industries.
One standard of excellence.

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Luxury Retail
Multi-location · CA & multi-state
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Restaurants
Upscale dining · Food service
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Nonprofit Residential
Group homes · Youth care · Housing
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Nonprofit Business
Offices · Community centers
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Trucking & Fleet
Mid-size fleets · Interstate
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Tech Companies
Startups · Growth · Enterprise
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Commercial Business
Salons · Medical · Fitness · Services
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Municipal & Government
City employers · Public sector
Why SMK Advisory Group

What sets us apart

01
Deep Operational Experience
25+ years in public health and 13+ years in workplace safety compliance. We've managed programs across 10+ multi-site organizations — we know what Cal/OSHA looks for because we've been there.
02
Boutique & Personal
You work directly with our Principal Consultant on every engagement. No junior associates, no subcontractors. Every document is built for your specific business — not a generic template dropped in your inbox.
03
Annual Updates — Always
Cal/OSHA regulations change. Your workforce changes. Every program we build is reviewed and updated annually — so you're never caught with outdated documentation when an inspector arrives.
04
Transparent Scope
We tell you exactly what we cover and what we don't. We never overstate our expertise or take on work outside our lane. That honesty is what makes us a partner you can trust long term.
"

Cal/OSHA violations are public record. For the organizations I work with, staying compliant isn't just about avoiding fines — it's about protecting everything they've built.

— Sherry M. Kidd, Founder & Principal Consultant
Common Questions

Everything you want to know

What exactly does SMK Advisory Group do?
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We build and manage workplace safety compliance programs for California employers — creating the legally required documents, training your team, and keeping programs current as regulations change. We specialize in IIPP, WVPP (SB 553), Emergency Plans, Heat Illness Prevention, and ongoing compliance retainers. In short: we make sure you are compliant, protected, and prepared.
Do I really need this? My business seems low-risk.
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Yes — and this is one of the most common misconceptions we encounter. Cal/OSHA requires every California employer with at least one W-2 employee to have an IIPP, regardless of industry or perceived risk level. SB 553 (effective July 2024) added the WVPP requirement for virtually all public-facing employers. There is no small-business exemption. A 3-person salon needs these programs just like a 300-person corporation.
What is SB 553 and why does it matter?
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SB 553 is a California law effective July 1, 2024, requiring nearly all California employers to: develop a written Workplace Violence Prevention Plan (WVPP), provide annual interactive employee training, maintain a violent incident log, and conduct post-incident reviews. Non-compliance can result in Cal/OSHA citations, fines, and significant legal exposure.
How much does it cost?
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Build-out fees start at $2,500 for a single-location business. Monthly retainers start at $500. Pricing scales based on number of locations, employee count, and program complexity. The first conversation is always free — contact us for a custom quote tailored to your specific situation.
What is the difference between a build-out and a retainer?
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A build-out is a one-time engagement where we create all required compliance documents from scratch — customized to your business. A retainer is an ongoing monthly relationship where we keep those documents current, facilitate annual retraining, monitor regulatory changes, and remain available when something comes up. You can choose either, or both.
Can my team maintain the plans after you build them?
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Absolutely. We offer a Training Handoff Session where we work directly with your designated internal person — teaching them how to facilitate annual SB 553 retraining, update plans when operations change, maintain the violent incident log, and prepare for a Cal/OSHA inspection. After the handoff, your team owns the program. Our optional light retainer ($500/month) keeps us in the loop for regulatory changes.
What are the consequences of not being compliant?
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Cal/OSHA violations are public record and fines range from hundreds to tens of thousands of dollars per violation. Beyond fines: repeat violations carry higher penalties, willful violations can result in criminal liability, workplace incidents without proper documentation expose you to civil litigation, and for nonprofits, a compliance failure can jeopardize grant funding and licensing. The cost of compliance is a fraction of the cost of non-compliance.
Why hire a consultant instead of doing it myself?
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Three reasons — expertise, time, and protection. Most business owners don't have the specialized knowledge to build programs that would survive a Cal/OSHA inspection. Plans that aren't tailored to your actual work environment, workforce, and risk profile offer very limited protection. The regulatory landscape changes constantly. Keeping up with what's required, what's changed, and what your specific obligation is as an employer is a full-time specialty. That's what we do. You run your business. We keep you protected.
How long does the build-out process take?
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A standard build-out for a single-location business typically takes 2–3 weeks from initial consultation to delivery. Multi-location organizations may require 4–6 weeks. Every document is customized to your specific business — built for your workforce, your environment, and your risk profile.
What makes SMK Advisory Group different?
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Three things: our experience is deep and operational (25+ years public health, 13+ years safety compliance — we've lived the work), we are boutique and personal (you work directly with our Principal Consultant on everything), and annual updates are built into everything we do — not an afterthought. We don't just know the regulations. We've lived them.
📅  Important — Required by Cal/OSHA
How often do my safety plans need to be updated?
At minimum, annually — and that is not optional. Cal/OSHA requires all IIPP and WVPP plans to be reviewed and updated at least once per year, and also whenever your workforce, locations, operations, or relevant regulations change. An outdated plan may provide no legal protection during a Cal/OSHA inspection. Annual plan reviews and updates are included in every SMK Advisory Group retainer — and covered in our Training Handoff Session for clients who self-manage.
Insights & Updates

Safety & Compliance Blog

✍🏽

Coming Soon

We're preparing content on Cal/OSHA updates, SB 553 guidance, industry-specific compliance tips, and practical safety strategies for California employers. Check back soon — or subscribe below to be notified.

Get In Touch

The first conversation
is always free.

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Location
Manhattan Beach, CA
Referral Program
Refer a colleague and receive a $300 credit on your next invoice when they sign on. They receive $200 off their build-out.

We'll respond within one business day. The first consultation is always free.