After outreach, feds can now start inspecting Colorado cannabis operations for safety violations

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After three months of outreach to Colorado’s cannabis industry, federal workplace safety officials can now begin a program of regular inspections of marijuana facilities in the state.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration on July 18 initiated an inspection program targeting marijuana and hemp operations in Colorado, kicking off a 90-day outreach program after which inspections can start.

As part of that outreach program, OSHA’s Denver and Englewood offices sent letters to cannabis businesses in the state aimed at reducing occupational injuries, illnesses and fatalities among cannabis industry workers.

While the agency has conducted sporadic inspections in the past, the new program will make the practice more regular.

In the letter, the offices detailed potential risks for workers, including:

• “Exposure to potential fire and explosion hazards from the use of flammable liquids and compressed gases.”
• “Growing and other production operations such as sorting, stripping, and drying can expose workers to unguarded machinery, pesticides, molds, and dusts.”
• “Electrical hazards from improper temporary wiring in grow areas and improper electrical installations in production areas is common.”
• “Workers may also be exposed to material handling and storage hazards such as the improper use of powered industrial trucks and the improper storage of flammable materials.”
• “Many of the extraction facilities involve the processing and handling of large quantities of flammable solvents such as ethanol.”