Commercial Bakeries
Bakeries smell wonderful, but they combine fine flour dust, hot ovens, powerful mixers and busy lines. Flour dust can cause asthma and burn explosively, and moving machinery causes serious injuries.
- Bakers
- Packers
- Food Manufacturing
Flour dust
- Baker's asthma: inhaling flour and additive dust can cause allergy-type asthma, rhinitis and skin problems. Report cough, wheeze and stuffy nose early. See Occupational Asthma.
- Combustible dust: flour suspended in air can explode, and layers of dust on surfaces add fuel. See Combustible Dust and NFPA Combustible Dust Standards.
- Controls: enclosed transfer, dust collection at mixers and dumps, gentle handling, no compressed air cleaning, HEPA vacuums or wet cleaning and regular housekeeping.
- Use respirators where dust levels are above limits. See Respiratory Protection.
Machine hazards
- Mixers: spiral and planetary mixers can trap hands and arms. Use guards and interlocks, never reach into a running bowl. See Industrial Mixers.
- Dough sheeters, dividers and slicers have nip points and blades. See Machine Guarding.
- Conveyors and packaging lines. See Conveyors.
- Lock out before cleaning, sanitizing or clearing jams. See Group Lockout.
Heat, cold and floors
- Ovens and fryers: burns from hot pans, racks, steam and oil. Use heat-resistant gloves and long tools. See Ovens & Furnaces.
- Cold rooms and freezers and heat stress near ovens. See Heat Illness.
- Slips: flour, oil, grease and water make floors slippery. Use anti-slip footwear and keep floors clean. See Food Processing.
- Ammonia refrigeration systems in large plants. See Ammonia Refrigeration.
Ergonomics
- Use carts, lifts and dumpers for 50-pound flour sacks and heavy trays
- Rotate repetitive tasks such as scoring, shaping and packing
- Raise or lower work surfaces to suit different workers
- Take regular breaks and report early signs of pain
- Wear hairnets, safe footwear and avoid loose jewelry
Standards & references
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