MSQ Surveillance
GCD
Ground Cannabis Dust
OSHA issued a Hazard Alert Letter after a cannabis worker fatality. Among exposed workers, 70% report allergy symptoms and 31.6% test sensitized. MSQ:GCD is the surveillance that catches it early.
Starting at
UNDERSTANDING THE REQUIREMENT
What is MSQ:GCD?
A specialized medical surveillance questionnaire designed to identify workers at risk from ground cannabis dust exposure and prevent occupational respiratory illness.
The definition
A Medical Surveillance Questionnaire for cannabis workers exposed to ground cannabis dust, following OSHA's Hazard Alert Letter on a worker fatality.
The purpose
Ground cannabis dust is a sensitizer: exposure can progress from allergy symptoms to occupational asthma. Surveillance catches sensitization while intervention can still stop the progression.
Who needs it
Cannabis cultivation, processing, and packaging workers exposed to inspirable cannabis dust
ON THE PLATFORM
How it works
A surveillance questionnaire built from the cannabis dust research, taken on the worker's phone.
Workers report exposure history and symptoms through a questionnaire grounded in the cannabis dust research Dr. Martin co-authored. His team reviews the results and flags early sensitization, and every completed surveillance becomes part of the documented due diligence your Hazard Alert Letter response rests on. Routine surveillance runs entirely on the platform; a clinic enters only when a worker's results call for follow-up.
REGULATORY REQUIREMENTS
What enforcement looks like
There is no cannabis-specific OSHA standard. Enforcement runs through the Hazard Alert Letter and the General Duty Clause, so a documented surveillance program is the whole defense.
01Hazard Alert Letter issued
OSHA HALA recognized hazard with no surveillance program is an open citation
Hazard Alert Letter issued
OSHA HALA recognized hazard with no surveillance program is an open citation
The requirement
OSHA issued a Hazard Alert Letter following a cannabis worker fatality. The letter puts the industry on notice: ground cannabis dust is a recognized hazard, enforceable under the General Duty Clause.
Proxima solution
MSQ:GCD gives employers a running medical surveillance program, which is exactly the due diligence the letter asks them to demonstrate.
02OSHA General Duty Clause applies
General DutyProvides legal protection by showing proactive hazard recognition and mitigation
OSHA General Duty Clause applies
General DutyProvides legal protection by showing proactive hazard recognition and mitigation
The requirement
Employers must provide a workplace "free from recognized hazards" that could cause death or serious physical harm, even without specific standards.
Proxima solution
MSQ:GCD surveillance helps employers identify and protect at-risk workers, demonstrating compliance with general duty obligations.
03Lack of established protocols
Emerging StandardsEmployers must develop their own protection strategies without regulatory guidance
Lack of established protocols
Emerging StandardsEmployers must develop their own protection strategies without regulatory guidance
The requirement
No standardized medical surveillance protocols exist specifically for ground cannabis dust exposure in occupational settings.
Proxima solution
Our questionnaire is developed based on occupational medicine best practices and Dr. Martin's cannabis dust research.
MEDICAL EXPERTISE
Physician-Level Assessment
Ground cannabis dust is a hazard most occupational clinics have never assessed. Dr. Martin co-authored the research on it.
Dr. Bill Martin
Chief Medical Officer
MD, MBA, MPH, MMCi
Board-certified physician with specialized cannabis industry knowledge providing medical direction for ground cannabis dust surveillance, ensuring comprehensive worker protection.
Cannabis Exposure Assessment
Specialized knowledge of cannabis processing hazards and ground dust exposure risks in cultivation and manufacturing environments
OSHA Hazard Alert Response
Expert guidance on compliance with OSHA's Hazard Alert Letter requirements and respiratory protection requirements under General Duty Clause enforcement
Early Detection Protocol
Proactive surveillance methodology designed to identify at-risk workers before symptom progression to permanent respiratory disability
The Program
The Full Program
OSHA respiratory protection is a program, not a single step. Pair MSQ:GCD with medical clearance, fit-test records, and training on one platform.
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