Grants for Flour Dust Prevention: A Key Opportunity for Bakers and Pastry Chefs
Dans les métiers de la boulangerie et de la pâtisserie, un risque professionnel reste encore trop sous-estimé : l’exposition aux poussières de farine. Reconnues comme dangereuses pour la santé, ces poussières font aujourd’hui l’objet de dispositifs de prévention soutenus par des subventions, permettant aux artisans d’investir dans des équipements adaptés.
Bonne nouvelle : une partie des équipements Bertrand Puma est éligible à ces aides, ce qui représente une réelle opportunité pour moderniser son fournil tout en protégeant ses équipes.
Flour Dust: A Real Occupational Risk
Flour dust is generated during many daily tasks in the bakery and pastry workshop:
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emptying flour sacks,
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mixing,
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dusting work surfaces,
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cleaning workbenches, etc.
With repeated exposure, flour dust can lead to respiratory and skin conditions, allergies and even occupational asthma, which remains prevalent in the profession. Preventing this risk has therefore become a priority for occupational health organisations.
To support businesses in limiting this risk, Assurance Maladie – Occupational Risks offers the “Flour Dust” grant, making it easier to purchase equipment and systems that effectively reduce dust emissions.
What Is the Aim of This Grant?
The main objective of the grant is to significantly reduce employee exposure to airborne flour dust by financing collective protection measures adapted to the relevant trades.
This subsidy aligns with Recommendation R439 (“Prevention of risks associated with flour dust emissions”), a technical reference outlining practical actions to reduce, or even eliminate, dust emissions in workshops.
Who Is Eligible?
The grant is available to all companies with 1 to 49 employees, regardless of sector, provided they meet certain administrative conditions:
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registration under the general Social Security scheme,
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an up-to-date Risk Assessment Document (DUER / Risk Assessment),
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being up-to-date with URSSAF social contributions,
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affiliation to an occupational health service,
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informing employee representative bodies,
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compliance with rules on cumulative public aid (“de minimis” rule).
What Equipment Is Eligible for This Grant?
The “Flour Dust” subsidy covers 70% of eligible expenses (excluding VAT), up to a maximum of €25,000 per company, with a minimum expense of €500.
It can finance equipment such as:
• Hooded Spiral Mixers : Designed to reduce flour dust emissions at the source during mixing operations.
• Hooded Planetary Mixers : Offering similar benefits when preparing doughs, batters and fillings.
• Low-Dust Dividers and Molders : Including dividers, divider-formers and boule makers that limit dispersal of fine particles.
• Industrial Vacuum Systems for Flour Dust : Professional vacuums designed to capture flour dust without re-aerosolising it during cleaning tasks.
• Manual or Automatic Flour Dusters Providing better control of flour application than free flour dusting in the bakery environment.
All of these machines share the common feature of reducing dust emissions as close as possible to their source, improving both employee health and overall working conditions
For professional bakers and pastry chefs, this subsidy represents an important opportunity to invest in high-quality equipment. Benefits include:
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Reducing out-of-pocket costs for essential investments,
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Improving workplace health and safety by limiting respiratory and skin risks,
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Demonstrating a proactive approach to prevention to staff and customers alike
