Uploaded March 2020 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
Baker’s asthma is a form of occupational or work-related asthma that can be caused by, or exacerbated by, exposure to respirable flour dust. Flour dust made from wheat, corn, rye, barley, oats, rice or other cereal grains can have many components. It is often a complex mixture that includes proteins, enzymes and baker’s additives, which could include sweeteners, coloring, flavoring and other ingredients.
Exposure to flour dust is a possible occupational concern for more than just bakers. Workers in commercial kitchens, grinding mills, packaging plants, and the many other food processing and manufacturing facilities that use flour, could all come in regular contact with flour in the air.
Any of these workers could be at risk of developing eye and respiratory irritation, allergies and baker’s asthma if they are exposed to flour dust over a long enough period of time. Even skin contact with flour dust can cause dermatitis in some workers.
The most effective ways to protect workers from flour dust is to eliminate the source of exposure, but this is not always possible or practical. For those situations, some basic steps can be taken to help safeguard workers, including:
• Engineering controls such as ventilation and local exhaust ventilation systems.
• Administrative controls like educating workers, instituting a medical surveillance program, providing regular worksite monitoring, work practice modifications, and even changes to cleaning procedures can all help to minimize dust creation and exposure risks.
• Ensuring the use of personal protective equipment (PPE), such as respirators and other appropriate gear.
One other possible health and safety concern associated with aerosolized flour dust is the potential for a combustible dust explosion that could occur under certain conditions in a confined space. Over the years, combustible dust explosions caused by flour or grain dusts have tragically injured and killed a number of workers and caused devastating property destruction.
These are just a few things to know about baker’s asthma and occupational exposure to flour dust. To learn more about this or other industrial hygiene, environmental, indoor air quality, health or safety issues, please visit the websites shown below.
Clark Seif Clark csceng.com
EMSL Analytical, Inc. emsl.com
LA Testing latesting.com
Zimmetry Environmental zimmetry.com
Healthy Indoors Magazine healthyindoors.com
Baker’s asthma is a form of occupational or work-related asthma that can be caused by, or exacerbated by, exposure to respirable flour dust. Flour dust made from wheat, corn, rye, barley, oats, rice or other cereal grains can have many components. It is often a complex mixture that includes proteins, enzymes and baker’s additives, which could include sweeteners, coloring, flavoring and other ingredients.
Exposure to flour dust is a possible occupational concern for more than just bakers. Workers in commercial kitchens, grinding mills, packaging plants, and the many other food processing and manufacturing facilities that use flour, could all come in regular contact with flour in the air.
Any of these workers could be at risk of developing eye and respiratory irritation, allergies and baker’s asthma if they are exposed to flour dust over a long enough period of time. Even skin contact with flour dust can cause dermatitis in some workers.
The most effective ways to protect workers from flour dust is to eliminate the source of exposure, but this is not always possible or practical. For those situations, some basic steps can be taken to help safeguard workers, including:
• Engineering controls such as ventilation and local exhaust ventilation systems.
• Administrative controls like educating workers, instituting a medical surveillance program, providing regular worksite monitoring, work practice modifications, and even changes to cleaning procedures can all help to minimize dust creation and exposure risks.
• Ensuring the use of personal protective equipment (PPE), such as respirators and other appropriate gear.
One other possible health and safety concern associated with aerosolized flour dust is the potential for a combustible dust explosion that could occur under certain conditions in a confined space. Over the years, combustible dust explosions caused by flour or grain dusts have tragically injured and killed a number of workers and caused devastating property destruction.
These are just a few things to know about baker’s asthma and occupational exposure to flour dust. To learn more about this or other industrial hygiene, environmental, indoor air quality, health or safety issues, please visit the websites shown below.
Clark Seif Clark csceng.com
EMSL Analytical, Inc. emsl.com
LA Testing latesting.com
Zimmetry Environmental zimmetry.com
Healthy Indoors Magazine healthyindoors.com
