Yeah I think it’s related to ragweed?
Processing Flower, and especially grinding it, should be considered to have some hazard rating; especially how often we’re seeing these reactions occurring.
Not sure if it’s common with other allergies, but I’ve just seen them getting worse with more exposure. And lots of people with zero allergies developing cannabis ones.
Not sure how many times I’ve mentioned this but, in a regulated environment at least the managers and supervisors should be osha trained. Implement safety precautions as needed. I highly recommend getting any employee dealing with airborne particles or fumes get mask fitted and use the masks as intended.
Sometimes it’s uncomfortable to wear ppe but very important. Also one should be willing to shave beards in order to make a proper seal around face.
May she Rest In Peace.
Had the same issue. I started to wear a respirator anytime there was biomass uncovered, being loaded or unloaded in extraction column, decarbing, you name it. I couldn’t imagine how it could have been if I worked in the dry or trim room of a cultivation op:
@Ag-Tech i guess there is a new black lung in town and it ain’t from mining based carbon particulate.
We had an employee whose face swelled up from the knockbox kief. She smokes and usually never had a problem but one day her face ballooned out after she took off her goggles and rubbed her eyes. Scared the fuck out of me, gave her Benadryl and drove her to closest hospital. By the time she got checked in the swelling went down a ton but still had her get checked out. Swelling airways is nothing to fuck around with.
It most certainly does. Re: the earlier comment about grain mills… just about any organic solid is flammable/explosive in particle sizes ~150 microns. These small particulates settle in crevasses in grain mills and occasionally get disrupted and cause the explosion. All ductwork carrying particulates MUST be regularly cleaned.
Absolutely, I meant more in terms of health rather than explosions.
Although I suppose those are bad for your health too.
The times I have worked with industrial hygienists designing facilities it has always been considered a classified area. I don’t remember the exact designation, but you had to have proper air exchanges, etc.
Was just about to say, you gotta know when ask for reasonable accommodations.
Osha laws. Don’t hurt either.
In Section 307.1, the IBC identifies thirteen exceptions that exclude certain occupancies and uses from the Group H classification. If none of the exceptions apply, then the hazardous occupancy will be categorized into one of five subgroups. As delineated in the descriptions below, the most severe hazardous occupancy group is H-1 and the hazard severity gradually decreases as the occupancy group number increases.
Group H-1 includes occupancies containing materials with a detonation potential.
Group H-2 includes occupancies containing materials that have a deflagration potential or that create a hazard from accelerated burning.
Group H-3 includes occupancies containing materials that are easily combustible or pose a “physical hazard.”
Group H-4 includes occupancies containing materials that pose a “health hazard.” The IBC defines a health hazard to include toxic, highly toxic, and corrosive chemicals.
Group H-5 includes occupancies containing hazardous production materials (HPM) used in semiconductor fabrication and research and development laboratories.
Under the IBC rooms for grinding have H-3 designation if well ventilated and provided proper fire suppression otherwise H-2 iirc.
Had one of the homies come out to the 215 grow to trim back in 2012. He LOVED weed. Was our pickiest customer lol. Guy was so stoked to come out to a big harvest and get in the game. Long story short the guy couldn’t even be in the house/ processing facility more than an hour without breathing problems. He would also get a really really bad rash. Poor guy we got him a hotel for a week took him around the Bay showed him a good time and sent him home. They need to add cannabis to the list of allergens tested by your doctor now that its everywhere.
Maize researchers often come down with life threatening allergies to corn pollen.
I went through school with two students whose research could have killed them in essentially this manner.
This is in a lab with less than a dozen personnel. At least another six wore long sleeves in the field to prevent rashes.
One of my close friends died from an asthma attack in a dry room…
Exaclty.
The hazard comes from airborne dust. Many types of dust + oxygen = highly flammable. When a threshold of flammable airborne dust is exceeded within an enclosed space, an ignition source (flame, static electricity, sparks, etc.) ignites the dust, and the reaction causes an explosion.
Residual dust on a mill or elsewhere is dangerous because it can become airborne, adding to the dust load.
Around 20 people died in one of the first, or at least one of the worst, flour mill explosions in the late 19th century, drawing attention to the hazard.
I’m sure cannabis dust could be included in the below. And I would guess dust from trim would b a greater hazard than dust from flower:
‘Occasionally become disrupted’ was an inartful way of saying become airborne.
I am aware. ‘Exactly’ is a means of agreement 
I just added an explanation for those who are unware.
looks like the deceased was Lorna McMurrey
https://obits.masslive.com/us/obituaries/masslive/name/lorna-mcmurrey-obituary?id=32219789
Wow, she was only 18 also. Very sad her life was cut so short by inadequate training/PPE.
I was coming here to post this very thing. PPE and safety!
OG cultivars in the dry+trim rooms would always kill me for some reason, anything else was fine
