A UK bakery company has been fined for safety breaches after its workers were exposed to flour dust.

The Leeds Magistrates Court was told Coopland & Son employees suffered long-term exposure to flour dust, and some had developed medically-diagnosed occupational asthma as a result.

However, despite flour dust being a known respiratory sensitiser and a cause of allergic rhinitis and occupational asthma, with “bakers’ asthma” being one of the most common types of occupational asthma, an investigation by the Health and Safety Executive found there was no effective method of control to prevent the dust from becoming airborne or employees being exposed to breathing it in.

Coopland & Son pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974and was fined £159,080 and ordered to pay £4594 in costs.