Major code or environmental or building and safety violations carry over to the new owner (that's you) - stick to the easy stuff. - Those are some initial things to think on.

how do i assess a house in terms of safety etc? 

I like niche.com to give me a sense of schools and safety.

Are there any specifications on dumpster sizes, work hours, safety equipment, etc.?

Judge awarded tenant $70,000 and ruled that the tenant shouldn't have been charged rent since the unit was illegal (not up to current safety or fire code) and didn't give the landlord a chance to remediate the unit. 

Get a property inspection: As you mentioned, you will need to hire your own inspection company to inspect the property and uncover any potential issues that may affect its value or safety.4.

Another concern i have is the backyard has a BIG hill which is pretty dangerous to mow and could be a liability, however i could always include lawn care as part of the rent to avoid safety issues.

The safety standard requirements were posted, yet they raised a lot more questions than they answered. 

Every submarket/micromarket is so unique, it's hard to know what your's can support when it comes to retail, and what it would be like to deal with those types of tenants, especially small business owners who may operate on a razor thin margin, like most food/coffee businesses do. 

Negotiate, negotiate, negotiate... yes i was taking the sellers position and safety.. however its something to keep in mind if they balk a little one could offer this does not have to super high rate maybe just a tad over the wrapped rate. but one could show them the math on it and it might swing the deal plus when they learn that its a safer way to do these it could also put the buyer in good standing with the seller ??