Strategic Safety Measures for Cannabis Workers

The boom in the consumption of cannabis is where on one hand driving jobs it is also causing some serious injuries that calls for prevention and training. That is why it is becoming increasingly popular for employers to build and maintain health and safety programs for workers on an instant basis. Toronto cannabis dispensary that are located in Canada are also supposed to adopt particular measures when it comes to sale and purchase of cannabis and related products.

Medical weed dispensary Toronto placed in Canada are outnumbering full time workers who are either engineers, nurses or human resource managers. A recent study conducted in 2018 mentioned that all the employees who worked in the cannabis industry receive little or almost no training when they are hired.

Boom in the Cannabis Industry

Despite the illicit nature, cannabis has been legalized at federal level for medicinal or recreational use. Many hundreds and thousands of people are associated with this industry and are working full time. The accelerating growth of the industry is encouraging workers as well as the government to invest in it but with certain rules and protocols. The legalization where on one hand has played a pivotal role in the demand of the product, the industries and physical stores selling cannabis have largely jumped in to benefit from the pool.

Threats and Hazards

There are certain threats and harms associated with the cannabis industry that cannot be ignored. For instance, exposure to dangerous chemicals and pesticides. Potential electrical and water cultivation interaction. Trips, slips and falls in retail outlets. Repetitive worker injury caused by cannabis, weed or marijuana. However, one good thing about all these scenarios is that one can easily pull out of the situations as there are well researched programs, training sessions and policies to cope up with these situations.

Another thing that needs attention is the indoor cultivation of the plants and oil extraction from the plants that can at times cause serious hazards and consequences. Because the process of extracting oil is highly technical that needs to be grounded with set policies.

Finding Hazards

Working for the cannabis industry has its own consequences and harms when it comes to the safety of the worker. Many workers face injuries in greenhouse or farms where they either get struck or get caught by any object. Repetitive motion and overexertion is another reason for creating hazardous situations for the employee. Many other employees get exposed to harmful substances and material that is a threat to their existence. Cannabis workers face many other chemical hazards that include:

Biological exposure: This includes indoor air quality, fungi and mold.

Chemical exposure: Carbon dioxide and butane that is generated during the extraction process.

Physical exposure: Slips, trips and falls, working at height, guarding machines, tending plants at times cause serious consequences on physical health of the worker.

Training of Workers

To ensure the safety of the employees it is always mandatory and pro to fully and properly train the employees and working staff to avoid any harmful situation. Training and webinars that are connected with health departments should be conducted every now and then to ensure maximum safety of the employees. These training not only ensure the health of the employee but help companies to maintain the corporate health standards perfectly well. The workers should be trained and guided by introducing them to industrial hygiene standards, working and walking surfaces, ergonomics, workplace violence, material handling and hazard communication.

Early Precautions

With the advancement of training and educating resources, employers can easily cope up with many unforeseeable situations. Industries rather than just focusing on the production should adopt such ways that will pave the way for the positive health of the employee. Besides, it has been noticed that the workers who got training were far more productive as compared to the workers who didn’t receive any training.

Open Communication

The training sessions and efforts have proved to be a productive and engaging tool to properly communicate about the line of the field. The brainstorming and training sessions are when focused with guidelines and protocols enable employees and employers to come up with a more productive approach.