In the United States, the legal cannabis industry employs 420,000 full-time workers and is rapidly growing as more states legalize cannabis. Working with cannabis plants can cause skin and respiratory health issues. In Washington, there is a need for state-wide formalized training to prevent occupational injuries and illnesses within the cannabis industry. This pilot project aims to form a cannabis-related advisory committee to assess ongoing WISHA 10 training and develop and evaluate a WISHA 10 cannabis training module. The advisory committee will allow for different perspectives to inform the development and evaluation of a new module for the WISHA 10 focus on the occupational health and safety needs of cannabis workers. Findings from this study will enhance WISHA 10 training by broadening and updating its content and evaluation, as well as increasing DOSH’s capacity to reach cannabis production workers more effectively.
Diana Ceballos, Principal Investigator, UW Department of Environment & Occupational Health Sciences (DEOHS)