Assessment of worker exposure to occupational organic dust in hemp processing facility

The cultivation and processing of hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) is a developing industry in Australia. During processing, workers exposed to hemp dust commonly suffer from airway inflammatory response and respiratory disease leading to decreased lung function over time. There is a scarcity of empirical evidence on the respirable fraction of dust concentrations in hemp processing, and no specific guidance material for producers. Determine the relevancy of current health based occupational exposure limits (inhalable/respirable) for protecting workers exposed to hemp based inhalable dusts. Objectives: Measure exposures of workers to airborne hemp dust. Determine potential exposures and compare against published exposure standards. Based on the outcomes of exposure assessment, make recommendations for appropriate control measures. Methods: Both personal and static monitoring will be performed at a hemp processing facility in Victoria, Australia. Analysis will be undertaken using IHSTAT. Differences between inhalable and respirable airborne dust concentrations will be tested using ANOVA and Shapiro-Wilks post-hoc testing. Results: The hemp industry requires a distinct exposure standard and published guidance material to ensure adverse health effects are minimal. Further research is needed on the impacts of respirable fraction of cannabis particulates and their role in respiratory response and disease. This paper will present the findings for innovative field work the first of its kind undertaken in Australia.