Grain, flour milling and animal feeds
Injury rate comparisons
Injury incidence rates (ie injuries per 100,000 workers per year) averaged for the three years 2005/06-2007/08 are as follows:
- Grain and flour milling: 1215
- Animal feeds: 1074
- All food and drink industry average: 1470
- All manufacturing industry average: 913
There are around 30 different food and drink manufacturing industries. View a comparison graph of all injuries.
Main causes of injury
- Manual handling and lifting - especially sacks
- Falls from height - off ladders, stairs and vehicles
- Slips and trips - more prominent than usual due to obstructions and uneven floors
- Exposure to harmful substances, eg chlorine, hydrochloric acid, sulphur dioxide
- Machinery - screw conveyors, rotary valves, roller mills, mixers (mostly during maintenance, cleaning, refilling etc)
- Entry into silos - risk from engulfment, lack of respirable atmosphere, mechanical hazards (eg sweep augers)
- Transport - including lift trucks and trailers when tipping
Main occupational ill health risks
- Musculoskeletal injury from manual handling, eg of sacks, bags and equipment
- Work-related upper limb disorders (WRULDs), eg from repetitive packing operations
- Occupational asthma from exposure to grain and flour dust
- Noise induced hearing loss from noisy areas, eg mill areas, grinders, seed graders, hammer mills, bagging lines
Industry specific guidance
