Australia Industries
Food & Beverage Manufacturing
Australia's food and beverage manufacturing sector employs over 270,000 workers in bakeries, grain handling, meat processing, dairy, and beverage production. Flour dust and grain dust are major respiratory sensitisers — occupational asthma from flour dust exposure is one of the most common occupational diseases in bakers. Ammonia from industrial refrigeration systems and cleaning chemicals add chemical exposure risk.
Key Hazards
Primary exposure hazards requiring monitoring in this industry sector.
Flour Dust
Inhalable flour dust is a potent respiratory sensitiser causing occupational asthma (baker's asthma). Current WES 4 mg/m³ inhalable, incoming WEL 0.5 mg/m³ from 1 December 2026 (8x reduction). No STEL assigned. IOM sampler with MCE filter for inhalable fraction measurement.
Grain Dust
Grain handling, milling, and transfer generate inhalable organic dust. Respiratory sensitiser and explosion risk. WES 4 mg/m³ inhalable. Silo and elevator work may also involve confined space entry.
Ammonia (NH₃)
Industrial refrigeration systems in cold storage, dairy, and meat processing. Acutely irritating gas with ceiling value. Leak detection and emergency response monitoring. WES 25 ppm TWA, 35 ppm STEL.
Noise
Packaging lines, bottling equipment, and processing machinery generate continuous noise. Personal dosimetry across production and packaging SEGs.
Common Analytes
Substances typically included in occupational hygiene sampling proposals for this industry.
Typical Worker Groups
Common similar exposure groups (SEGs) assessed in this industry.
Regulatory Context
Food manufacturing must comply with the WHS Act 2011 and Regulations. Health monitoring is required for workers with significant exposure to inhalable organic dust. The Code of Practice for Managing Risks of Hazardous Chemicals applies to cleaning chemical use. Ammonia refrigeration systems exceeding threshold quantities trigger major hazard facility requirements.
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