Cannabis product manufacturer Future2 Health Services is facing $50,470 in fines after an explosion seriously injured an employee. On June 19, 2018, a worker was using propane to extract oil from cannabis leaves inside a 128 sq. ft. storage container. The propane ignited and exploded, which left the worker with serious burns that required an extended hospital stay. “The process of using a highly flammable gas to extract oil from cannabis leaves is dangerous,” said Cal/OSHA Chief Juliann Sum in a statement.“To prevent injuries and mitigate risk, employers in the cannabis industry must establish and implement an effective Injury and Illness Prevention Program, provide effective training to their employees and comply with safety and health standards.” A subsequent Cal/OSHA investigation revealed that the Santa Cruz, Calif.-based employer did not test the atmosphere inside the storage container for flammable gases or vapors before allowing equipment to be operated. The equipment created a spark that ignited the propane gas where the employee was working.  Cal/OSHA cited Future2 Health Services for a total of 10 violations, including three regulatory, four general and three serious. The serious accident-related violations were cited for the employer’s failure to: Protect workers around flammable vapors; Identify hazards and provide personal protective equipment; and Maintain equipment in a safe operating condition. The other citations were issued for violations related to inadequate training, failing to establish an emergency action plan and a hazard communication program, according to the agency. Future2 Labs Health Services also failed to report a serious workplace injury to Cal/OSHA.

View the latest products from EHS Today's December issue. EHS Today's print edition highlights the latest personal protective equipment, software and safety products ranging from footwear to training. Our December issue features innovations from Honeywell, KEEN, Camfil APC, Global Glove, Force Training Institute, HEMCO, AutomationDirect, Pilz, STABIL, Tillman and Rockford Systems. To view product descriptions and photos, use the arrows to move back and forth through the slideshow.

The astounding rate at which the cannabis industry is growing is leaving a large compliance gap on the occupational health and safety front, according to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). The agency, a subset of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, recently visited a medical marijuana production facility that had both indoor and outdoor growing operations after a union representative raised a red flag. A Health Hazard Evaluation Program was created after potential occupational safety hazards both in harvesting and processing were not being addressed, according to the representative. "We evaluated a medical cannabis facility and detected cannabis components on surface wipes throughout the facility," NIOSH stated in its report. "Diacetyl and 2,3-pentanedione were identified in screening air samples, but later were not quantifiable in personal air samples. Observed fungal and endotoxin exposures can increase allergic and respiratory symptoms, which employees reported. Facility visits were completed on August 2016 and April 2017. Investigators observed work procedures in cultivation, harvesting, processing and decarboxylation.  Both air and surface samples were taken to measure the levels of organic compounds, and NIOSH studied fungal diversity analysis and endotoxins, which are products some bacteria release. Particle concentrations in the air also were taken during the grinding process. Employees were interviewed about job tasks, health and safety concerns, personal protective equipment use, injuries at work, job stress, physical working conditions and psychosocial factors at work, according to the agency.  In addition, NIOSH collected data on worker health history and respiratory symptoms and tested lung function. Results should that seven of the eight workers tested had normal results. Workers reported the following issues to NIOSH: moderate job stress due to heavy workload; safety concerns related to working with high pressure carbon dioxide, exit doors needing a badge to unlock for egress, ergonomics, and working withlarge amounts of solvents; concerns about having to perform tasks that are not part of theirjob description; and allergic, irritant, and musculoskeletal symptoms. Despite possible exposures to diacetyl or 2,3-pentanedione, the medical marijuana facility had no written respiratory plan. NIOSH provided the following recommendations for the employer: Install local exhaust ventilation to reduce exposures during grinding operations. Move the decarboxylation process to a seldom occupied area in the facility to preventunnecessary exposures to diacetyl and 2,3-pentanedione. Limit access to the areas where higher exposure tasks are occurring. Redesign security doors to allow emergency egress without needing a badge to exitthe facility. Encourage employees to report new or ongoing symptoms to their personal healthcareprovider and a designated health and safety representative within the workplace. Develop and implement a written respiratory protection program that meets the requirementsof the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s respiratory protection standard. Talk to employees about whether workload could be better managed and how. Clearlydefine job roles and talk to employees how to minimize role overload. If feasible, hiremore employees to reduce the workload of individuals. In addition, the agency stressed to workers the importance of wearing personal protective equipment as required by the company. Employees also should report any new or ongoing symptoms to a personal physician and to the designated representative within the workplace.

End-of-year business travel can be strain when trying to maintain a work-life balance during the holidays. As millions hit the roads or travel by air, health and safety is easily forgotten during the hectic holiday rush. Hyryde, powered by Reliance, has released an infographic with details about how to prepare for a business trip and arrive home safely just in time for dinner with the family.

Amazon employees attend safety school and receive ergonomic assessments, and each of the company’s facilities has a “robust safety program,” according to the multi-billion dollar e-commerce giant. Despite these claims, the online retailer is known for a pattern of worker fatalities, numerous injuries and claims of unsafe working conditions. The latest outcry to hold Amazon accountable for workplace safety comes after bear repellant spray discharged at a New Jersey warehouse, sending 24 workers to the hospital. "Today, Amazon put warehouse workers in the hospital – again and one is fighting for their life in the ICU right now. Amazon's automated robots put humans in life-threatening danger today, the effects of which could be catastrophic and the long-term effects for 80+ workers are unknown,” said Stuart Appelbaum, president of the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU). “This is another outrageous example of the company putting profits over the health and safety of their workers, and we cannot stand for this. “ Worker advocates and Amazon employees cross the globe are calling for harsher penalties as the company’s track record for injuries and fatalities continues to grow. The Dirty Dozen The National Council for Occupational Safety and Health (National COSH) placed Amazon on its 2018 “Dirty Dozen" report of "employers who put workers and communities at risk." Criteria for inclusion in the list included severity of injuries to workers; exposure to unnecessary and preventable risk; repeat citations by relevant state and federal authorities; and activity by workers to improve their health and safety conditions, according to National COSH. "Safety is our number one priority, and as we do with any incident, we are reviewing our practices and protocols to ensure the well-being of our employees,” a company representative said. “Any safety incident that occurs within our operations is one too many.” Amazon has been the subject of dozens of OSHA investigations over the past few years, resulting in numerous health and safety violations. “Amazon workers suffer injuries – and sometimes lose their lives – in a work environment with a relentless demand to fill orders and close monitoring of employee actions,” National COSH stated. Since 2013, the following seven workers were killed in Amazon warehouses: Jeff Lockhart, 29, a temporary employee, found collapsed and dead from a cardiac event after an overnight shift at an Amazon warehouse in Chester, VA on Jan. 19, 2013. Roland Smith, 57, a temporary employee, was killed after being dragged and crushed by a conveyor belt at an Amazon warehouse in Avenel, N.J. on Dec. 4, 2013. OSHA cited five companies for serious violations, including the contractor responsible for operating the facility for Amazon – Genco – and four temporary staffing agencies. Jody Rhoads, 52, was crushed and pinned to death by a pallet loader at an Amazon warehouse in Carlisle, Pa., on June 1, 2014. (This is the same facility where Shoemaker was killed in September 2017). A worker for a company from whom Amazon was renting forklifts was crushed to death by one at an Amazon warehouse in Fernley, Nev., on Nov. 4, 2014. According to news reports, he was loading the forklift onto a flatbed truck when it began to roll forward. He tried to stop it but the forklift fell on him. Devan Michael Shoemaker, age 28, was killed on Sept. 19, 2017 when he was run over by a truck at an Amazon warehouse in Carlisle, Pa. Phillip Terry, 59, was killed on Sept. 24, 2017, when his head was crushed by a forklift at an Amazon warehouse in Plainfield, Ind. Four weeks later, on October 23, Karla Kay Arnold, 50, died from multiple injuries after she was hit by a sports utility vehicle in the parking lot of an Amazon warehouse in Monee, Ill. A Global Issue Workplace safety isn’t just a domestic issue for Amazon. GMB Union, a 600,000-member strong trade union in the United Kingdom, staged Black Friday protests across the country, citing “the awful conditions people work under at Amazon warehouses.” According to news reports, GMB discovered ambulances were dispatched to warehouse locations more than 600 times over a three-year period. The company released the following response, "Our European Fulfillment Network is fully operational and we continue to focus on delivering for our customers. Any reports to the contrary are simply wrong." Amazon continued a rebuttal in a second statement: “All of our sites are safe places to work and reports to the contrary are simply wrong," Amazon said. "According to the U.K. Government's Health and Safety Executive, Amazon has over 40% fewer injuries on average than other transportation and warehousing companies in the U.K. We encourage everyone to compare our pay, benefits and working conditions to others and come see for yourself on one of the public tours we offer every day at our centers across the UK uk.amazonfctours.com."  “The richest company in the world cannot continue to be let off the hook for putting hard working people's lives at risk,” Appelbaum said. “Our union will not back down until Amazon is held accountable for these and so many more dangerous labor practices." Amazon employs more than 1,000 health and safety professionals at its fulfillment centers across North America, according to the company. [embedded content]

Despite efforts to help individuals with substance abuse and mental health issues, drug overdose and suicide increased last year. The substance abuse crisis in the United States shows no signs of slowing down despite increased regulations and efforts from legislators, communities and companies. Drug overdose death rates were higher in 2017 compared to 2016 in 39 states and the District of Columbia, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) data, analyzed by Trust for America's Health (TFAH) and Well Being Trust (WBT). "Just one person dying from a preventable cause is one death too many," said Benjamin F. Miller, Psy.D., Chief Strategy Officer, Well Being Trust. "Evidence provides clear ways to more proactively address issues of substance misuse and help build resiliency in our communities, but, our country has not yet prioritized investing in prevention and intervention. If we continue to fail to put dollars and common sense into a systematic approach to prevention and treatment, we'll never ensure optimal health and well-being for our nation." TFAH and WBT found that the epidemic impacted all populations and age groups in 2017, most notably: Drug overdose rates for men: increased by 11.1%; Drug overdose rates for women: increased by 7.5%; Drug overdose rates for 15- to 24-year-olds increased by 1.6%; Drug overdose rates for 25- to 34-year-olds increased by 11.0%; Drug overdose rates for 35- to 44-year-olds increased by 11.4%; Drug overdose rates for 45- to 54-year-olds increased by 9.3%; and Drug overdose rates for 55- to 64-year-olds increased by 9.4%. "Another year of increasing numbers of drug overdose deaths is a national emergency, that can't be overstated," said John Auerbach, TAH president and CEO in a statement.  "Government and the healthcare sector at all levels must adopt a comprehensive approach and strengthen efforts to prevent substance misuse and suicide attempts by addressing their underlying causes. We face a crisis that requires a multi-faceted response and the skills of the public health sector." The organizations outlined nine recommendations evidence-based policies and programs that federal, state, and local officials should put in place or extend to address drug misuse and save lives.