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Occupational asthma and rhinitis

The problem

Work related asthma affects workers inhaling dusts which are respiratory sensitisers. Asthma is an extremely distressing and potentially life-threatening disease.

Occupational asthma comprises 33% of food industry compensation cases under the Department of Work and Pensions Industrial Injuries Scheme.

Among all occupations, bakers have the second highest incidence rate of occupational asthma as reported by chest physicians, who also report that flour/grain dust is the second highest causal agent for causing occupational asthma.

Respiratory sensitisers include dust from:

  • grain
  • flour
  • bakery dust
  • egg protein
  • fish protein
  • wood dust

So workers involved in baking, milling, malting, fish processing and coopering are at particular risk.

Rhinitis

Dusts such as grain, flour, spices and seasonings can also cause rhinitis (runny or stuffy nose), conjunctivitis (watery or prickly eyes) and other irritant effects.

Managing prevention

Complying with the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) Regulations provides a framework for management of health hazards:

  • assess the health risk
  • prevent exposure, if reasonably practicable
  • adequate control, if not
  • dust monitoring, health surveillance, examination of plant, training

Find out how low-dust flours can reduce asthma risks for bakers[38].

Further guidance

Link URLs in this page

  1. Food & drink manufacturehttps://www.hse.gov.uk/food/index.htm
  2. Common risks - in food and drink manufacturing industrieshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/food/industries.htm
  3. Meat, poultry and fishhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/food/slaughter.htm
  4. Milling, animal feedshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/food/grain.htm
  5. Bakery productshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/food/bakery.htm
  6. Dairy productshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/food/dairy.htm
  7. Fruit and vegetableshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/food/fruitveg.htm
  8. Alcoholic and soft drinkshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/food/drink.htm
  9. Chilled and frozen products https://www.hse.gov.uk/food/chilled.htm
  10. Supply chainhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/food/chain.htm
  11. Safety risks overviewhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/food/safety-hazards.htm
  12. Manual handlinghttps://www.hse.gov.uk/food/handling.htm
  13. Slips on wet or contaminated floorshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/food/slips.htm
  14. Falls from heighthttps://www.hse.gov.uk/food/falls.htm
  15. Workplace transporthttps://www.hse.gov.uk/food/transport.htm
  16. Struck by somethinghttps://www.hse.gov.uk/food/struckby.htm
  17. Overview - Food processing machineryhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/food/machinery.htm
  18. European CEN 'C' Standards for food processing machineshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/food/standards.htm
  19. Packaging machineryhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/food/package.htm
  20. Overview - Prevention of dust explosionshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/food/dustexplosion.htm
  21. Selection and use of vacuum cleanershttps://www.hse.gov.uk/food/dustexplosionapp1.htm
  22. Explosion relief for small bins and siloshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/food/dustexplosionapp2.htm
  23. Overview - Occupational health topicshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/food/healthtopics.htm
  24. Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs)https://www.hse.gov.uk/food/musculoskeletal.htm
  25. Dermatitishttps://www.hse.gov.uk/food/dermatitis.htm
  26. Noise induced hearing losshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/food/noise.htm
  27. Overviewhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/food/asthma.htm
  28. Low dust flourhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/food/low-flour-dust.htm
  29. Exposure to disinfectantshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/food/disinfectants.htm
  30. Work-related stresshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/food/stress.htm
  31. Overview - Occupational rehabilitationhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/food/rehabilitation/index.htm
  32. OH Case studieshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/food/rehabilitation/casestudies.htm
  33. Overview - Resourceshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/food/information.htm
  34. Case studieshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/food/experience.htm
  35. Useful linkshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/food/links.htm
  36. Food and Drink Manufacture Health and Safety Forumhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/food/forum.htm
  37. Topics of interesthttps://www.hse.gov.uk/food/live.htm
  38. low-dust flours can reduce asthma risks for bakershttps://www.hse.gov.uk/food/low-flour-dust.htm
  39. Grain dust Guidance Note (EH66)https://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/eh66.htm
  40. Grain dust Guidance Note EH66 https://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/eh66.htm
  41. A Baker's Dozen - Thirteen essentials for health and safety in bakerieshttp://www.infopreben.com/index.php/item/download/64_5e0c8f1156c01f64494e14d75dfad7dd
  42. Case studieshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/food/experience.htm
  43. Asthma at workhttps://www.hse.gov.uk/asthma/index.htm
  44. Asthma and bakershttps://www.hse.gov.uk/asthma/bakers.htm
  45. Asthma substanceshttps://www.hse.gov.uk/asthma/substances.htm
  46. Asthma advice and health surveillancehttps://www.hse.gov.uk/asthma/employers.htm

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Updated 2023-06-15