Severe COSHH Breaches Highlighted at Buckingham Facility
A prominent food manufacturing business has been ordered to pay £120,000 following a Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigation that revealed workers were routinely exposed to hazardous inhalable dust, placing them at severe risk of developing occupational asthma. Milton Keynes Magistrates' Court heard that Puratos Limited, operating at the Buckingham Industrial Park, failed to adequately control dust emissions from manufacturing machinery.
The prosecution follows targeted regulatory scrutiny launched by the HSE across large bakeries and food processing plants in Great Britain. Inspectors visiting the Buckingham site identified multiple unsafe operational practices, including substantial dust leaks escaping directly from plant equipment, the dangerous use of compressed airlines to clear settled dust deposits, and dry sweeping methods employing standard brushes and brooms.
Exposure Limits Exceeded and Manual Handling Failures
A workplace dust monitoring assessment conducted in December 2024 confirmed that employees were working amid inhalable dust concentrations significantly exceeding the workplace exposure limits (WELs) mandated by the HSE. Prolonged inhalation of organic dusts such as flour and grain dust is a well-documented cause of irreversible respiratory impairment, chronic bronchitis, and occupational sensitization.
In addition to severe Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) violations, the HSE inspection uncovered systemic ergonomic and manual handling failures. Workers were required to manually lift heavy 25-kilogram sacks of raw ingredients on a daily basis without adequate mechanical lifting aids or risk mitigation strategies. The company had previously faced enforcement intervention during a 2021 site visit regarding employee exposure levels and heavy manual handling hazards.
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Court Sentencing and Regulatory Warning to Industry
Appearing before Milton Keynes Magistrates' Court, Puratos Limited pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. The bench imposed the substantial £120,000 fine alongside an order to pay £6,270 in legal costs. Regulatory authorities have reiterated that failing to implement proper LEV (Local Exhaust Ventilation) maintenance, routine air monitoring, and safe handling protocols will be met with rigorous enforcement action.
Health and safety professionals emphasize that safeguarding food manufacturing personnel requires robust, continuous training programs that address both respiratory hazards and ergonomic risks. To support organisations in meeting these stringent regulatory expectations, comprehensive courses and accredited compliance programs are available through Abertay Training at https://www.abertaytraining.co.uk.