One in 10 of all adults who suffer from asthma can blame their workplace,
according to figures from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).
Bakers were one of the most vulnerable groups, with some 65,000 baking
industry workers potentially at risk from flour dust, it found.
A survey of 55 bakeries in the UK, conducted for the Advisory Committee on
Toxic Substances (ACTS), revealed a low level of compliance and poor working
practices.
Despite most (80 per cent) being aware that flour dust was a respiratory
sensitiser:
– only 26 per cent with five or more employees had assessed the hazards and
completed a written risk assessment;
– only 27 per cent were aware of the exposure limits; and
– most bakeries were still using inappropriate work practices, such as flour
dusting by hand and cleaning by dry-brushing.
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