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Protecting Workers in California’s Booming Legal Marijuana Industry from Occupational Exposure Hazards

LA Testing offers industrial hygiene testing services, sampling supplies, monitoring instruments and personal protective equipment to safeguard employees.


Huntington Beach, CA – WEBWIRE

Earlier this year, The New York Times published the article “Marijuana Goes Industrial in California.” The write-up detailed the rapidly growing industry of legal marijuana grow operations (MGOs) in places like Salinas Valley that have seen a boom in greenhouses being converted to grow the lucrative crop.

These commercial grow operations and extraction facilities have been quick to open their doors and hire employees. The multibillion dollar industry currently employs thousands of workers and if growth projections are accurate could employ hundreds of thousands within the next few years.

“As this industry continues to expand in California, there have been concerns raised about occupational exposures to a number of potential respiratory hazards,” said Michael Chapman, Laboratory Manager at LA Testing’s Huntington Beach facility. “For example, the warm and humid conditions utilized in many indoor grow operations can support the growth of mold. Inhalation exposure to elevated levels of mold can cause allergies, act as a respiratory irritant, trigger an asthma attack in some people with the condition, and some types of mold can even cause opportunistic infections in people with a weakened or suppressed immune system. Exposure to other potential allergens, such as insects, dust and particulate matter is another concern. Workers could also come in contact with various pesticides and fertilizers. In addition, extraction operations utilizing solvents create their own unique health and safety concerns.”

To protect workers in California from occupational exposure hazards and to help keep companies in regulatory compliance, LA Testing offers a wide range of industrial hygiene, environmental and indoor air quality (IAQ) testing services. They provide all of the sampling supplies necessary to submit samples and even distribute respirators and other personal protective equipment (PPE) to help mitigate exposure hazards. LA Testing has even sponsored an educational video about marijuana grow operations and potential occupational exposure risks that can be seen at: https://youtu.be/Yu2fwz298C8.

To learn more about industrial hygiene testing or other environmental and indoor air quality services, please visit www.LATesting.com, email  info@LATesting.com  or call (800) 755-1794. 

About LA Testing

LA Testing is California’s leading laboratory for indoor air quality testing of asbestos, mold, lead, VOCs, formaldehyde, soot, char, ash and smoke damage, particulates and other chemicals.  In addition, LA Testing offers a full range of air sampling and investigative equipment to professionals and the general public. LA Testing maintains an extensive list of accreditations including: AIHA LAP LLC., AIHA ELLAP, AIHA EMLAP and AIHA IHLAP, CDC Elite, NVLAP, State of California, State of Hawaii Department of Health and other states.  LA Testing, along with the EMSL Analytical, Inc. network, has multiple laboratories throughout California including South Pasadena, Huntington Beach, San Leandro and San Diego.


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 marijuana
 occupational safety
 asthma
 respiratory hazard
 mold


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