The challenges facing legal cannabis companies today are rife. Companies must contend with falling prices and a saturated market, compliance guidelines, and the challenges that come with running a business that is still illegal on the federal level.
But all cannabis companies must also make concerted efforts to safeguard their customers' and employees' well-being and build a safety culture.
What is safety culture in cannabis?
When safety is central to your culture it becomes part of daily operations and all employees are enlisted to take part.
According to the Advisory Committee on the Safety of Nuclear Installations, “Organizations with a positive safety culture are characterized by communications founded on mutual trust, by shared perceptions of the importance of safety, and by confidence in the efficacy of preventive measures.”
And while the risks at your local dispensary may not seem as apparent as those at a nuclear facility, failure to heed safety demands can truly endanger cannabis companies.
What happens if you don’t have a safety culture?
In late March, the Arizona Department of Health announced that several cannabis companies are taking part in a voluntary recall of cannabis products that may have been exposed to Aspergillus, a dangerous fungus.
The Department of Health stated that four products tested positive for Aspergillus and called on customers who purchased the products to discard them and contact their healthcare provider if they have already consumed them.
The products in question come from four different cannabis companies, all of which saw their names featured prominently in local and national news reports about the recall. That is in addition to the cost of destroying and replacing the products in question, and the time spent on carrying out the recall.
But contaminated cannabis products can also pose a serious health risk, especially to people with compromised immune systems. This could potentially result in lawsuits that can jeopardize the future of such companies.
Cannabis compliance guidelines cover the full gamut of workplace safety hazards in cannabis and potential contamination threats like fungus. These tasks can be found in Standard Operating Procedures that cover the cleaning, ventilation, and sanitation required in cannabis facilities. Other subjects covered by these SOPs include how to prevent cross-contamination and demarcate separate and defined areas inside the facility.
When a cannabis company has a well-defined and reinforced safety culture, these guidelines are carried out seamlessly as part of daily operations, making it less likely that they fall by the wayside.
What are the benefits of a safety culture?
When a safety culture is in place, employees are much more aware of what is expected of them in safety in cannabis and are empowered to carry out these obligations on their own.
These guidelines also play a central role in protecting employees. A strong safety culture means that guidelines that cover issues such as the use of ladders or lifts, how to keep floors clean and clear, or what to do in the event of a robbery, are reinforced regularly.
Simply put, when safety measures become second nature, the workplace can dramatically reduce the danger of setbacks such as cannabis product recalls, product liability cases, workers' compensation claims, health or injury-related employee absences, and compliance fines.
Steps you can take a build a culture of safety
According to the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH), to build a safety culture organizations must “ensure that their leaders, managers, and staff have a fundamental understanding of how to think about safety risk, the role they play and be able and willing to make informed decisions, and not necessarily continue doing what they have always done.”
In other words, it requires a change in mindset and one that comes from the top.
Executives and management at all levels must decide that workplace safety and health will be a central part of their company operations and culture and must ensure that this approach is implemented at all levels of the company.
Safety training must also be done on a constant, daily basis. This doesn’t mean coursework that stretches throughout the day followed by homework after employees clock out. It means implementing training that is reinforced “in the flow of work,” so that employees retain their training.
Company leadership must also empower employees to take charge of safety and give them the tools to do so.
Tools like the Rootwurks Learning Experience Platform (LXP) can go a long way in creating this culture. The LXP is a compliance management and e-learning platform that employees and management can use to ensure they meet all the regulatory demands of the industry while also building in-the-flow-of-work training to develop a culture of safety.
With such a culture in place, companies have a far greater chance of avoiding the safety and compliance risks facing the industry and can increase their chances of building a brand that lasts.
To learn more about safety culture in cannabis and how the LXP can help cannabis companies of all sizes, download our complimentary Rootwurks Guide “What is Safety Culture in Cannabis” here.
