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Cannabis plant trimming ergonomics is where science meets cultivation to keep your body safe, your workflow efficient, and your buds perfectly manicured.
We’ll uncover #39excludeGlossary ergonomic practices and tools to help you trim smarter, not harder – because great cannabis starts with a healthy trimmer.
Learn how to minimize the strain undergone by cannabis trimmer jobs and workers specifically at the trimming station, to reduce repetitive motion injuries and ensure worker safety.
Discover the characteristics of a worker’s motion during cannabis trimming to assess musculoskeletal strain and identify areas in need of improved methods.
As every grower knows, the weed bud trimmer spends the most time-consuming and #41excludeGlossary part of the cannabis cultivation process trimming the harvested buds.
Repetitive motion injuries, also known as Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs) are temporary or permanent injuries to muscles, nerves, ligaments, and tendons caused by performing the same motion over and over again.
Ergonomics is the science of finding an ideal fit between people and their work when you have marijuana trimmer jobs.
Applying ergonomics to trimming focuses on preventing common workplace injuries such as strains, stress, and damage of joints caused by manicuring cannabis plants.
While a few small plants can be trimmed by hand with scissors in a reasonably short time, larger plants or greater numbers can be a gargantuan task for a bud trimmer.
Discover ergonomically designed equipment (ex. chair type and height, table shape and height, and clipper design) and methods that help to reduce MSDs during weed bud trimmer.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, repetitive motion injury cases accounted for 33% of all worker injury and illness cases.
This ergonomics training for trimmers will introduce regulations over the requirements of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the “General Duty” that employers must protect every worker from injury.
The most common injuries seen in the cannabis industry are caused by biological or chemical hazards such as contact with pesticides, disinfectants, and any volatile organic compounds, and physical hazards such as noise exposure and ergonomics.
This will provide a starting point for analyzing preventable injuries. Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs) are the number one (1) issue in the cannabis industry, and there’s a high probability they’ll accidentally have these other injuries happen while working:
- Strain (Musculoskeletal Disorder)
- Equipment Injury or Cut (Trimming Scissors)
- Walking Surface Injury (Fall or Slip)
- Struck By Object (Being Physically Hit)
- Strike By Object (Running Into Something)
The most common body parts injured are fingers, hands, lower back, eyes, and knees, but there is a concerning number of “foreign body in eyes” injury types.
Eye injuries are quite common in cultivation facilities from pesticide overspray to machine trimmers ejecting plant material, but when workers are trimming these, injuries are easily preventable with a small investment in eye protection (ex. safety glasses) and their use for marijuana trimmer jobs.
These injuries can be mitigated or controlled through ergonomics, which is defined as the scientific discipline concerned with understanding the interactions among humans and other elements of a system.
Ergonomics applies theory, principles, data, and methods to design to optimize human well-being and overall system performance, or more simply put, #46excludeGlossary.
The goal is to eliminate discomfort and risk of injury due to work. Implementing ergonomic practices can prevent or reduce work-related MSDs and increase the trimmer’s efficiency.
Workers in cultivation operations have some motions and tasks that are similar to other licensed cannabis facilities, like lifting heavy objects, “Seed-to-Sale” data entry, and standing for long periods.
Cannabis operations also have some motions and tasks that are similar to other general industries like farming and agricultural operations such as pruning, harvesting, etc.
But there is a task and motion in the cannabis industry that is uniquely its own: trimming.
There are many different methods of cannabis trimming, including pre-harvest trimming and pruning, “Wet Trimming”, “Dry Trimming”, and machine trimming.
The process is a tedious one where the trimmer removes the leaves of the cannabis flower with scissors while leaving the trichomes and resin from the plant intact.
Trimmers must be provided with a safe workplace along with proper safety awareness training about the hazards of the workplace so they’re informed of any possible work-related injuries.
This should concern everyone in the cannabis industry to be proactive in keeping their trimmers safe by developing their internal ergonomic processes and practices for their operations.
Since the quality of smoke, vapor, and ultimately the consumer’s experience is affected by the quality of the trimming job, they always identify and correct health and safety hazards in the workplace to perform work safely.
Cannabis industry regulations are constantly changing and establishing “best practices” for cultivation operations so ergonomic standards are being implemented to ensure the safety of trimmers and provide an environment for manicuring “best-in-class” cannabis.
Bending your wrist, raising your arm above your head, or working with your elbow at an awkward angle – each is a simple movement you use to perform your job throughout the day with cannabis trimmer jobs.
But if you repeat these or other motions over and over again while you work or play, you may develop repetitive motion injuries – also called Cumulative Trauma Disorder (CTD).
It could be days, months – or even years – before symptoms of pain or tingling appear in your hand or arm.
But if you know how to work and play smart, symptoms may never appear and if they do, you can take steps to prevent them from getting worse.
Think of your hand and arm as one of nature’s perfect inventions so, without much upkeep, this amazing, well-designed “tool” made of muscles, nerves, tendons, and bones can help you do the hundreds of different motions needed to work or play.
Whether you’re tossing plant material over your shoulder, squeezing scissor handles, holding, or squeezing buds, your hand and arm perform constantly throughout the day, and certain wrist and hand movements may increase your chances of developing repetitive motion problems.
By making a few small changes, you can break the movement patterns that could otherwise set you up for injury.
There are commonly used scissors used for manicuring cannabis buds – that have a curved or a straight blade – to provide workers with options that work best for them to avoid injuries by using well-designed tools.
Also, simply modifying the way a trimmer uses their wrists and hands can help to avoid harming any muscles, nerves, or joints along with using the scissor type that works best for the individual’s body to reduce musculoskeletal strain while working.
Also, Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS) occurs from trimming when there’s pressure on a nerve in your wrist which can be a result of repetitive motions.
It occurs when the carpal tunnel inside your wrist begins to swell, squeezing one of your nerves so you are more likely to develop carpal tunnel syndrome if you are repeatedly bending your wrist during cannabis trimmer jobs. Symptoms of CTS include:
- Your hands feel numb while trimming.
- A weak thumb or experiencing difficulty gripping.
- Aches or pains in the arm, hands, or fingers.
- Occasional tingling or pins and needles.
Hand-trimming plants during harvest time will always be relevant in the cannabis industry with consumers wanting “high-end cannabis” that has beautiful aesthetics which is only accomplished by trimming properly for all cannabis trimmer jobs.
Manicuring is a part of the production process that adds value to the cultivation option’s end product that’s sold so it’s essential to prevent the minor muscle tension, stiffness, aches, fatigue, and eyestrain that can result from sitting for extended periods:
- Right-Sized Tools: Using tools that are the right size and length for your hand keeps you from having to “adjust” by using awkward positions to hold them.
- Best Shape Tools: Use tools that are the right shape for the job you’re doing, so you don’t have to use too much force on the wrong part of your hand.
- Least Vibration: If using machine trimmers or other power tools, use ones with the least amount of vibration possible so discuss how to take steps to reduce any vibrations.
- Use Correct Position: How you place yourself at your workstation can determine the position of your wrist and hand so that to work smart, stand above the object, or sit, if necessary, to work in the right position.
- Keep Wrist Straight: Be sure to keep your wrist straight or “neutral” when you work.
- Avoid Awkward Positions: By avoiding bent, extended, or twisted positions for long periods, you keep extra pressure off your wrist and hand.
- Use Entire Hand: Use as much of your hand as possible when holding an object, so you won’t have to pinch with your fingers.
- Use Both Hands: To give your hands a rest, try using one hand for a while, then the other.
When flexed, the elbow should remain bent straight upward – between an angle of sixty to one hundred degrees (60 – 100°) – and using the ergonomic table reduced the amount of time spent out of this zone to zero percent (0%) of the time.
When using different types of trimmers, the radial deviation which is the bending or curvature of a finger toward the radial side (ex. towards the thumb), and supination (ex. rotation of the forearm and hand so that the palm faces forward or upward) may need to be adjusted so there are no negative effects.
There’s no clear correlation if using curved or straight blade trimmers is better ergonomically to determine which type of hand tools should be used, but you can prevent repetitive motion injuries in your elbow and shoulder by knowing how to use and move them safely.
By knowing your “Safety Zone”, you can avoid extreme movements and keep from straining your muscles and joints.
You have a ready-made “Safety Zone” that lets you work or lift things with less chance of hurting your elbow and shoulder. To find your “Safety Zone”, stand up, then let your hands drop to your sides.
Where your knuckles are is your “Lower Safety Limit” and then your shoulder level is the “Upper Safety Limit” so working within this range to protect your elbow and shoulder.
Keep your arm close to your body, and avoid using back-and-forth movements with your elbow bent.
Use less effort by using your entire arm to do the job and when possible lift one item at a time.
You’re less likely to strain your muscles if you limit the weight of what you lift – even if it means lifting more times.
In between repetitions, give the overused parts of your hand and arm time to recover so you’ll find that prevention and self-care alone do not stop repetitive motion symptoms.
You can prevent repetitive motion injuries by doing exercises that are designed to improve the movement of your hands and arms.
Also, strength and endurance exercises will help you to stay healthy and be able to work comfortably for longer periods.
Developing a general plan of action that helps you live a healthy lifestyle (both on and off the job) is another good move you can make to keep in shape.
By doing simple exercises, eating well, and relaxing, you can give yourself a rest from your routine, and increase your odds of avoiding repetitive motion problems.
Sometimes, despite your efforts to prevent repetitive motion injury, symptoms appear – and resting alone may not cure the aches in your hand or arm.
One of the best ways to recover is to take time out to give your hand or arm time to rest so take lunch or other scheduled breaks and, when possible, vary your activities.
You can minimize unnecessary stress on your back by using good sitting posture – maintaining the three (3) natural curves of your spine so to maximize comfort in your chair by using a few practical posture comfort tips:
- Lumbar Support: Use a lumbar support to relieve strain in your lumbar curve, so you can use a lumbar roll or a towel rolled up to four to six (4 – 6) inches (in) – ten to fifteen (10 – 15) centimeters (cm) – then place it in the small of your back.
- Adjust Chair: Adjust your chair height so that your weight is shifted forward off your spine and your arms are at desk level then you may need a small wedge on your seat.
- Shift Positions: Shift your position throughout the day to keep your muscles loose and to relax away tension due to immobility, but be sure your spine stays aligned.
- Keep Feet Flat: Keep your feet flat on the floor to help maintain good sitting posture and aid circulation in your legs so if they don’t reach the floor, use a footrest.
Ergonomic designs should always minimize the reach or distance that the trimmer handles plant material to help limit shoulder and back injuries that’ll keep them in a “Safe Reach Zone” for the repetitive motions they’ll do in the work area.
Using your eyes doesn’t harm them when trimming cannabis plants, but when focused for long periods can cause temporary eye discomfort.
The muscles that move and focus your eyes become strained so your eyes become dry and itchy, so get regular eye exams to be sure your eyes are healthy and vision problems are corrected in addition to practicing eye comfort tips to prevent everyday eye strain.
- Blinking: To keep your eyes moist, prevent itching, and aid in cleaning, blink them often.
- Reducing Glare: To reduce lighting reflection and glare from your work area, reposition your station or modify the lighting.
- Eye Palming: To rest your eyes from the light, shape your hands into shallow cups and place them lightly over your closed eyes then hold them there for one (1) minute.
- Refocusing: To exercise the muscles that focus your lenses, periodically look away from what’s immediately in front of you and focus on an object at least twenty (20) feet (ft) or six (6) meters (m) away then repeat three (3x) times.
- Eye Rolling: To exercise the muscles that move your eyes, roll your eyeballs around clockwise three (3) times, then counterclockwise three (3) times and make wide circles.
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