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Introduction: This page is intended to exemplify aspects of the Management
of Health and Safety in Workplaces and to assist in education
about, and practical
implementation of occupational health and safety especially in "small
and medium enterprises" of this type.
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Hazards and Risks |
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| The heat associated with ovens in a bakery can
be a hazard. employees
may need time to get accustomed to this, and excessive heat can affect
cardiovascular function for example, causing syncope (fainting) and
other consequences. The image above shows a traditional bakery of a
relatively small size where the staff were acclimatised to the
temperature. The hazard of burns from hot objects or surfaces should be
self evident. Sensitisation of the skin resulting in dermatitis, or of the nose and lungs resulting in allergic rhinitis or asthma, are important health hazards in the bakery environment. Notably, allergens may include amylase (enzyme) in the flour, as well as other agents, notably additives. The photograph alongside shows a piece of equipment in a
bakery, liberally
sprinkled with flour. The risk of asthma is not trivial and many a
baker have had to give up their work and suffer from persistent ill health
as a consequence of inadequate control of exposure to allergens in
workplaces such as this. This health effect was first recognised
centuries ago - probably by Ramazzini and it is a shame that it still
occurs in a significant degree in some bakeries. Occupational rhinitis
may be a herald of the subsequent development of occupational
asthma.
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Note: This page is still in preparation and is not intended to be a comprehensive or exhaustive account of health hazards, risks and means of risk reduction in bakeries, but |
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