CGA Offers Compressed Gas Safety Resources for the Cannabis Industry
October 8, 2021
In recent years, we here at the Compressed Gas Association (CGA) have seen a growing number of our industry’s products used in new applications, including in cannabis growing and processing facilities.
In 2020, the cannabis industry was identified as an area of focus for our growing end user safety communications. Due to this industry’s rapid expansion, regulation and comprehensive standards programs have not yet fully caught up. In discussions with cannabis association staff and operators, we began to hear a common theme emerge – that many weren’t sure where to find more information on gases, related equipment, and their safe use. CGA decided to help fill that gap.
These facilities use a broad range of gases and equipment, and our objective was to provide a series of visually engaging safety posters with high level safety information to help cannabis industry personnel understand the potential hazards and how to mitigate them by following best practices. CGA staff engaged in conversations with representatives from the National Cannabis Industry Association (NCIA) to better understand how our industry’s products are used in these operations and identify the areas where education was needed. We also worked with the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) to learn more about their standards activity on this topic and how they built relationships with cannabis facility operators to drive awareness and acceptance of safety messages.
As we delved into this industry, CGA’s Hazard Communication Committee identified four key areas that presented an immediate need for education and safe handling information: carbon dioxide, cryogenic and refrigerated liquids, flammable gases, and cylinders and equipment. For each topic, we have now published a safety poster and a related product-specific webpage, or “Safety Resource Center,” which includes a free download of the poster, along with additional information and resources.
Each poster is fully scalable, allowing users to print in multiple sizes. Companies can also add their own contact information and branding to the posters, before distributing. In addition, the posters include a QR code, enabling viewers to quickly access supplementary information on-demand. These resources are available at no charge, and may be accessed without having to first create a user account on the CGA portal.
Safety Resources for Cannabis Growers and Processors
The following 4 Safety Resource Centers offer posters and additional resources for cannabis growers and processors. CGA is also working to produce generic versions of these posters that can be used to communicate with users outside of the cannabis industry.
Carbon Dioxide Safety Resource Center
Cylinder and Equipment Safety Resource Center
Flammable Gas Safety Resource Center
Refrigerated and Cryogenic Liquid Safety Resource Center
We are committed to helping to ensure that new users of compressed gases receive the necessary information to safely interact with our industry’s products and equipment. This is in line with our mission statement, which our Board of Directors expanded in late 2018 to include providing “basic safety considerations for end use.” We continue to ramp up efforts to more widely communicate safety considerations and risks involved in using our products, and sharing strategies to mitigate those risks, so that users at all levels of experience and expertise can protect themselves, their customers, and their communities.
