Safety & Health In Cannabis Industry Workplaces

The rate of worker deaths and reported injuries in the United States has decreased by more than 60 percent in the past four (4) decades since the Occupational Safety and Health (or OSH) Act was passed.

However, every year, more than 5,000 workers are killed on the job (a rate of 14 per day) and more than 3.6 million suffer a serious job-related injury or illness.

Serious job-related injuries don’t just hurt workers and their families but can hurt businesses in a variety of ways. Implementing safety and health training programs in the cannabis industry can improve small- and medium-sized businesses’ safety and health performance, save money, and improve competitiveness.

Safety and health programs help cannabis businesses:

• Prevent workplace injuries and illnesses
• Improve compliance with laws and regulations
• Reduce costs, including significant reductions in workers’ compensation premiums
• Engage workers
• Enhance social responsibility goals
• Increase productivity and enhance overall business operations

Management Leadership

Management leadership means there is a commitment from the top to implementing a program and using it to drive continuous improvement in safety and health. It is a core element for cannabis industry workplace safety and health programs so accelerate your program and show your commitment to your workplace.

Ready To Take The Challenge?

Step 1: Take 3 Actions In 30 Days

There are lots of ways to accelerate your program! Choose from our list below or pick one of your own. Every cannabis industry workplace is different so select actions that work best for you.

Step 2: Share In Your Cannabis Industry Workplace

Your employees need to see your commitment to safety! Show them that safety starts with you! List your three actions and share them on social media, in your company newsletter, or post it in the workplace.

Step 3: Accept Your Challenge

Effective safety and health programs tap into workers’ collective experience, knowledge, and insight to find solutions to workplace safety and health challenges. Cannabis industry workers often know the most about potential hazards associated with their jobs and when they are involved in finding solutions, they feel invested in cannabis industry training programs.

Why Is It Important For Management Leadership?

When management leadership is sincere and is supported by actions, workers know that safety and health are important to business success.

This means that the steps they take to improve safety and health will be valued by the business so top management can demonstrate its commitment in many different ways, including:

• Developing and communicating a safety and health policy statement
• Providing the resources needed to implement and operate the program
• Factoring safety and health into operational planning and decisions
• Recognizing or rewarding safety and health contributions and achievements
• Leading by example, by practicing safe behaviors and making safety part of daily conversations

Worker Participation

Effective safety and health programs tap into workers’ collective experience, knowledge, and insight to find solutions to cannabis industry workplace safety and health challenges. Workers often know the most about potential hazards associated with their jobs.

When they are involved in finding solutions, they feel invested in the program. To maximize participation, however, workers must feel free of any fear of retaliation or discrimination (ex. for reporting an injury or hazardous conditions), but workers can participate in many ways, including:

• Developing the initial program design
• Reporting incidents (including near misses) so they can be investigated
• Analyzing hazards associated with routine and nonroutine jobs, tasks, and processes
• Defining and documenting safe work practices
• Conducting site inspections and incident investigations
• Training current coworkers and new hires
• Evaluating program performance and identifying ways to improve it

15 Actions To Show Safety Leadership

Management leadership is a core element of workplace safety and health program. Accelerate your program and show your commitment to your cannabis industry workplace. Here are 15 actions to show leadership in safety and health training:

1. Send an email blast with a key message about your commitment to safety and health
2. Make a video on safety, for example, with an interview or demonstration
3. Write a company newsletter article about your commitment to safety in the workplace
4. Post a flyer or poster about safety in the workplace
5. Walk the floor to identify hazards
6. Host a short safety meeting
7. Spot workers who meet or exceed safety and health goals
8. Set safety and health program goals and objectives
9. Establish or update a written safety or health policy
10. Review and modify your business procedures to ensure they consider safety and health
11. Allocate additional resources toward safety and health programs
12. Request a no-cost and confidential Occupational Safety and Health Administration (or OSHA) consultation
13. Tell businesses you work with about your commitment to safety and health
14. Find or become a safety mentor.
15. Make safety part of your daily conversations with workers

Let us know what you think.