P-535 Cannabis Use Among Temporary Agency Workers: Prevalence and Perceptions

Introduction Cannabis is in Belgium the most commonly used illicit drug, with 7.4% of employees using cannabis. This study examined the prevalence of cannabis use among temporary agency workers (TAWs), as well as their perception of the impact of cannabis use on occupational safety. Methods Every TAW who underwent a pre-employment health assessment was eligible for this cross-sectional study. The socio-demographic characteristics and the prevalence of cannabis use were determined. A Wilcoxon Rank Sum Test was used to investigate whether there was a difference in the perceptions about cannabis use and occupational safety between the cannabis users and non-users. Results During the study period of 2 months 192 (80,3%) of the 239 TAW’s completed the questionnaire. The average age of the TAWs was 33.3 years and 76% were males. 60 (31.3%) TAWs had used cannabis at least once in the past 12 months, and 42 (21.9%) used it 2 times a month or more frequently. Cannabis use was more prevalent among males (37.7% vs. 10.9%) and younger workers (39.2% when ≤ 36 years). 85% Of the cannabis users vs 25% of the non-users believed that cannabis use had no impact on occupational safety (p < 0.001). Discussion Cannabis use was about 4 times more frequent in temporary agency workers than in the general working population (31,3% vs 7,4%). The cannabis-users (85%) perceived cannabis use more often as not a threat for their occupational safety than the non-users (25%). Conclusion There is need for further research on the impact of cannabis use on occupational safety.