With the cannabis industry seeing massive commercial growth as legislation catches up with product demand, growing operations and dispensaries are popping up faster than ever. However, that also means that there is an increase of attention being brought upon the industry, calling to question whether or not its business practices are safe for both the consumers and the workers. It’s only a matter of time before the government imposes health and safety requirements on operations to assure that their workers are free from potential harm, so it’s important to get ahead of the industry to let your employees know that their wellness is your top priority.
Industry Health Risks
There are a number of health concerns that have popped up in relation to the cannabis industry in the last couple of years—mainly regarding the grow lights that operations often use to help nourish plants indoors. While this allows for faster growth and the freedom to control things like temperature, humidity, and keep pests away without harsh pesticides, it also exposes workers to potentially life threatening levels of radiation that they would otherwise not be exposed to. Plants love the radiation. It allows them to photosynthesize faster than usual, but in humans in can contribute to the development of life-threatening illnesses like melanoma skin cancer.
Because grow lights emit three types of radiation—UVA/B, Visible and Infrared, it requires growers to be more prepared with protective layers than simply slathering on sunscreen every couple of hours. Most protective clothing does not protect against visible and infrared radiation—the types of radiation that can penetrate deep into the body and affect your cellular structure. Wearing protective layers is important to practice every day, and even if your employees seem fine now they could notice negative health effects later on.
Setting Your Business Apart From Others — Caring For Your Employees
While melanoma may be the worst case scenario, radiation caused by grow lamps can cause premature aging, changes to the way your skin looks and feels, changes to your DNA which eventually causes cancer, and changes to your eyes and eye health. Providing your employees with protective clothing and equipment will not only set a company-wide standard and message throughout the industry, but it will show your employees that you care about them, their health, and their lives. It’s a small step, but it means a difference in showing your employees that you care about them and treating them like they’re replaceable commodities.
Raywear, the only protective clothing guaranteed to protect against all three types of radiation, is made with a patented, breathable fabric that you can’t get anywhere else. The breathability of the fabric makes it easy to wear, even in warmer conditions, but prevents radiation from grow lights to help keep your body safe. Taking the small step to show your employees that you care about their health in this way is what will set your business apart from others. Rather than treating health and employee safety like a requirement, treat it like a priority.
