Fed Rescheduling Won't Change OSHA Weed Role

As many cannabis industry stakeholders look for a change in federal policy on cannabis, rescheduling or legalizing marijuana likely wouldn’t significantly change OSHA’s oversight, Meredith Post, a compliance assistance specialist in OSHA’s Denver office, said.
OSHA officers have conducted nearly four dozen site inspections within Colorado’s legal industry and found hazards such as lack of respiratory protection and personal protective equipment, electrical risks, improper handling and storage of flammable liquids, slip-and-fall dangers and others.
The state’s weed industry has logged three workplace fatalities in the past seven years, though Post said the deaths were “not necessarily related to the actual process of manufacturing the cannabis.”
Post’s comments came during a webinar this week covering the agency’s local emphasis program targeting the cannabis industry.
As part of the program, compliance experts at OSHA’s Denver and Englewood area offices are visiting cannabis producers and processors, and conducting consultations, employee interviews and site walkthroughs. However, retail establishments are not included in the new program.
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Two contractors could have prevented a crane collapse at a Fort Lauderdale residential construction site in April, in which a rigger suffered fatal injuries after falling approximately 30 stories.
OSHA investigators discovered that two workers employed by Phoenix Rigging & Erecting LLC were installing a section on a tower crane to increase its height when a support cable failed and the platform on which they stood became displaced.
One worker, who was wearing the required fall protection and tied off, was rescued. Another worker, whose lanyard was not connected to an anchor point was fatally injured.
The agency cited Phoenix Rigging for three serious violations and Pennsylvania crane rental company, Maxim Crane Works, for two serious violations, with a proposed total $61,299 in penalties, the maximum amount that OSHA can legally recommend.
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Baltimore’s Department of Public Works’ reporting on heat-related illnesses omitted 10 cases of employees who suffered from heat-related disorders, an investigation by the city’s Office of Inspector General has discovered.
“Six of the 10 employee-reported illnesses that were not found on DPW’s spreadsheet occurred on days when temperatures reached 90℉ or higher, with two that occurred on a 103℉ day,” per the OIG report.
“The absence of information in response to the OIG’s document request is concerning especially if the same incomplete information was provided to the Maryland Occupational Safety and Health and the law firm reviewing DPW’s heat standards,” the report read.
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The City of Boston is offering a free construction safety training course to Boston residents.
The 10-hour OSHA course in construction provides essential workplace safety training, covering key topics such as hazard identification, fall protection, electrical safety, and personal protective equipment (PPE).
It is designed for entry-level workers and participants will receive the OSHA 10 card and a certificate to give to their employer.
The course will be held over two days, Jan. 6 and 7, from 9 a.m. – 3 p.m.
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