Flour Power
Published: 08 July, 2011
Following recent HSE Safety and Health Awareness Days (SHADs) for the bakery industry, Nederman is offering free site surveys to companies considering dust control.
The bakery industry employs 95,000 people; 27,000 workers are exposed to flour dust and the potentially sensitising enzymes it can contain. Flour dust is a hazardous substance under COSHH and subject to Workplace Exposure Limits (WELs). Exposure can cause conjunctivitis, rhinitis and occupational asthma. Indeed, the rate of new asthma cases amongst bakers reported by physicians is actually the highest of any occupation, in any industry.
“Appropriate engineering controls include using a centralised high vacuum cleaning system,” said Mark Hodgens, managing director of Nederman Ltd. “Extraction systems can also maintain slight negative pressure on storage bins. This prevents problems by extracting at source. Cleaning with brushes or compressed air can cause dust to circulate and should be avoided.”
For further information please visit: http://www.hse.gov.uk/ or on product solutions at http://www.nederman.co.uk/
