NIOSH Evaluates Hazards at Cannabis Cultivation Facility
A health hazard evaluation (HHE) report recently posted to the NIOSH website describes the agency’s investigation of an indoor cannabis cultivation facility whose management expressed concerns about worker exposures to dust, ozone, cannabis compounds, endotoxins, and fungi. The report includes observations and recommendations from NIOSH staff who visited the facility in April and July 2019.
During interviews with agency investigators, employees reported eye, nose, throat, and musculoskeletal symptoms that could have been work related. Wipe sampling determined the presence of cannabinoids on several surfaces. Analysis of personal air samples indicated exposures ranging from 1.4 to 27.6 endotoxin units per cubic meter of air (EU/m3), well below the ACGIH Threshold Limit Value of 90 EU/m3.
Employees in many areas worked with plant material. Some used dry sweeping and compressed air for cleaning purposes. Investigators observed workers wearing dust masks. The HHE report recommends that the facility develop a written respiratory protection program and train employees to clean using wet methods or vacuums with high-efficiency particulate air filters.
The work at the facility was highly repetitive, according to the report. Some employees knelt on concrete floors to tend to plants while others spent much of their time sitting at tables and performing manual tasks. The agency recommends that facility management implement job rotation to reduce the risk of musculoskeletal disorders.
Measurements of sound levels from two machines in the production area, combined with employees’ use of compressed air, were as high as 97 dBA, but earplugs were not required and only some employees wore them. NIOSH recommends that the facility offer hearing protection to employees and conduct a full-shift personal noise survey to determine the need for a hearing loss prevention program.
More information is available from the HHE report (PDF).
Related: NIOSH staff contributed an article to the September 2023 issue of The Synergist on emerging issues in cannabis and workers’ compensation. Other Synergist articles on cannabis health and safety include “The Cannabis Industry: A Medical Perspective,” “Growing Pains: Personal Protective Equipment for Workers in the Emerging Cannabis Industry,” and “The Marijuana Dilemma: Drugs in a Drug-Free Workplace.”