(Reuters) – U.S. cannabis producer Green Thumb Industries Inc said on Tuesday an employee had died of natural causes at its Rock Island, Illinois facility last Friday.
The Teamsters Union earlier on Tuesday urged Green Thumb to address workers’ safety concerns following news about the death.
“To the best of our knowledge, this tragic death was not related to the working environment,” a spokesperson told Reuters.
Workers at Green Thumb have filed at least five complaints with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, alleging serious safety and health violations, including two complaints that are under investigation at the Rock Island location, according to Teamster.
“There have been significant concerns about occupational hazards at this operation – particularly regarding respiratory health – in the past. We also know that those concerns haven’t always been adequately addressed,” said Jim Glimco, president of Teamsters Local 777, which represents workers across industries in the Chicago area.
Green Thumb regularly reviews working conditions, and results from air quality testing so far have “complied with all regulatory standards,” the company spokesperson said.
(Reporting by Mrinalika Roy in Bengaluru; Editing by Vinay Dwivedi)
