“Implement a training program that thoroughly covers safety protocols. Newly hired staff will not only need to be trained in the day-to-day operations and job duties, but also on safety, says Hemp Temps CEO Joe Dreibelbis. “[Make] sure that people are wearing hairnets, beard nets, [and] changing out of their [street] clothes [while working in the processing and packaging areas]. Those are things to keep an eye out for.”

Federal and state agencies also have their own required safety training that employers must adhere to, such as the Worker Protection Standard. “Worker safety is a huge deal,” Dreibelbis says. “You can’t be exposing employees to pesticides, so understanding what those protocols are is … huge because [employers] can get fines from the Department of Agriculture and get potentially shut down.”