A food manufacturer has been fined £120,000 after its employees were exposed to significant health and safety risks, including hazardous dust and unsafe manual handling practices. Puratos Limited, operating from its factory in Buckingham, was penalised following an investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) that identified multiple breaches of workplace safety regulations. The company was also ordered to pay costs of £6,270 at Milton Keynes Magistrates’ Court on 17 July 2026.
Employees faced occupational asthma and musculoskeletal injury risks
The court heard that workers at Puratos Limited were at risk of developing serious health conditions, such as occupational asthma, due to high levels of inhalable dust present at the site. A HSE inspection conducted on 3 December 2024 uncovered several unsafe practices contributing to this exposure. These included dust escaping from machinery due to leaks, the use of compressed airlines to clear dust deposits, and dry sweeping with brushes and brooms, all of which can exacerbate dust dispersion.
A subsequent workplace dust monitoring report, dated 18 December 2024, confirmed that employees were exposed to inhalable dust concentrations that exceeded the workplace exposure limits set by the HSE. This evidence underscored the immediate danger posed to the workforce’s respiratory health. The HSE has been conducting a series of inspections at large bakeries across Great Britain since January 2026, specifically targeting the protection of workers from dusty ingredients like flour.
Beyond the dust hazards, the investigation also highlighted significant manual handling risks. Workers were routinely required to lift 25kg sacks of ingredients on a daily basis. Such repetitive handling of heavy loads is a known contributor to musculoskeletal injuries and should be mitigated wherever reasonably practicable. The HSE emphasises that employers must implement measures to reduce or eliminate the need for such strenuous manual tasks.
This was not the first time Puratos Limited had faced scrutiny over its health and safety provisions. The Buckingham site had previously undergone an inspection in 2021, which resulted in enforcement action being taken in relation to both employee exposure to dust and manual handling risks stemming from its food manufacturing operations.
The recurrence of these issues indicates a persistent failure to adequately address known hazards.
Puratos Limited, located at Buckingham Industrial Park, Buckingham, pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. This section places a general duty on employers to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety, and welfare at work of all their employees. The substantial fine reflects the seriousness of the breaches and the potential harm to workers.
Following the court hearing, HSE Inspector Emma Page reiterated the importance of employer vigilance. She stated that too many workers in bakeries continue to suffer from unnecessary exposure to dusty ingredients, including flour, and that preventing such exposure effectively removes the risk of occupational asthma. Inspector Page also highlighted that in the food and drink industries, approximately one-third of all reportable injuries are acute incidents caused by handling and lifting. She stressed that employers have a clear responsibility to properly protect their workers from the dangers associated with both dusty ingredients and the manual handling of heavy materials.
This story was originally published by HSE Media Centre.
