Regulatory Focus Turns to Food Processing and Bakeries

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has intensified its nationwide regulatory focus on the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) Regulations 2002, placing food and drink manufacturing facilities, bakeries, and commercial catering operations under strict scrutiny. Proactive inspection initiatives launched across Great Britain are specifically designed to curb preventable occupational lung diseases, targeting invisible hazards such as flour dust, grain dust, bread improver enzymes, and aggressive chemical cleaning agents.

Recent enforcement data highlights the severe financial and legal repercussions awaiting commercial food operators that fail to maintain robust exposure controls. Inspectors have noted that while safety documentation may exist on paper, practical implementation on the shop floor frequently falls short of statutory requirements. With industrial illness remaining a major driver of lost working days across British industry, regulators have made it clear that sub-standard chemical and dust management will face immediate formal enforcement action.

Core COSHH Failings Identified by Inspectors

HSE inspection teams visiting food manufacturing plants and large bakeries have repeatedly highlighted persistent compliance gaps. Among the most frequent violations cited by enforcement officers are out-of-date or incomplete COSHH risk assessments that fail to account for modifications in production lines or the introduction of new chemical disinfectants.

Other critical failings include:

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  • Defective Extraction Systems: Neglecting statutory thorough examinations and testing of Local Exhaust Ventilation (LEV) units required to capture airborne flour and organic dusts.
  • Unsafe Cleaning Practices: Reliance on dry sweeping with brushes or using compressed air lines to clear dust deposits, which violently aerosolises fine particles into the breathing zone.
  • Inadequate Health Surveillance: Failing to monitor workers routinely exposed to respiratory sensitisers, allowing conditions like occupational asthma to develop undetected until irreversible.
  • Over-reliance on PPE: Treating Personal Protective Equipment as a primary control measure rather than utilizing the hierarchy of control—such as elimination, substitution, and adequate engineering solutions first.

Legal Obligations and Employer Accountability

Under the COSHH Regulations 2002, employers carry an absolute legal duty to prevent—or where that is not reasonably practicable, adequately control—exposure to hazardous substances. In food production environments, failure to manage these risks effectively exposes staff to severe, debilitating health issues, including occupational asthma, chronic bronchitis, contact dermatitis, and chemical burns.

Recent prosecutions across the manufacturing sector underline that courts are willing to hand down substantial six-figure fines for safety breaches, particularly where companies have ignored previous warnings or failed to maintain safety equipment. Industry specialists emphasize that compliance requires continuous engagement, comprehensive staff training, and rigorous equipment maintenance rather than a tick-box approach.

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