Bakery workers

Workers in this industry are exposed to high levels of flour dust and enzyme improvers. Just over a quarter of workers (approximately 27,000) in this industry are exposed to flour dust during the course of their work, with exposure to flour dust and improvers resulting in occupational asthma. 

Through partnership groups including major supermarkets, Sector Skills council and the Bakers Food and Allied Workers Union examples of interventions include:

• A “supermarket benchmark” that sets the working practices and controls that inspectors expect to see in in-store supermarket bakeries.
• A bakers pocket card and poster to advertise key health and control messages.
• Two-day course ‘look after your lungs: dusting off the facts about bakery hazards’

Information on intervention initiatives is available by registering on the Occupational Disease Community site.

Specific guidance for employers on reducing the incidence of asthma in bakery workers is available on HSE’s food and drink manufacture web pages.