Coffee Roasting Safety: Key Dangers and How to Avoid Them (UK & London Guide)

The coffee roasting aroma is amazing, however the roasting space harbours real dangers, particularly where small roasteries, micro-roasters and cafe roasting facilities are located in the UK. Hot surfaces and trip hazards to the long-term risks of air quality A basic safety plan is all it takes to minimize injuries and ensure your team stays roasting.

This manual identifies the most frequent coffee roasting hazards and the feasible measures to avoid them, whether it is roasting in London, managing a training room or a small roastery unit.

1) The Most Common Coffee Roasting Risks

Burns from hot equipment

Roasters are extremely hot and the touch of hot metallic surfaces may lead to severe burns. Roasting areas are also likely to be hot to an unpleasant degree, and this leads to errors and accidents.

How to reduce burn risk

• Mark “hot zones” clearly (drum, exhaust, trier, cooling tray areas)

• Require heat-resistant gloves where appropriate

• Set a “no distractions” rule during charge and drop

• Keep first-aid supplies accessible and staff trained

Slips, trips, and falls

Trip hazards are common in roasting spaces—think extension cords, uneven floors, and tight walkways.

How to prevent trips

• Route cables overhead or along walls (avoid floor runs)

• Keep walkways clear and define storage areas

• Use non-slip mats in likely spill zones

• Add good lighting around the roaster and packing station

Manual handling injuries (heavy green coffee sacks)

Green coffee sacks can be extremely heavy—often 50kg–70kg—and repeated lifting can lead to back, shoulder, and strain injuries.

How to prevent lifting injuries

• Use trolleys/pallet jacks instead of carrying

• Split loads into smaller containers before moving

• Train staff on safe lifting technique

• Store heavy items at waist height where possible

2) Long-Term Hazards: Air Quality and Chemical Exposure

Roasting emissions and off-gassing

Some of the compounds that may be released during coffee roasting include diacetyl and acetyl propionyl; inhalation exposure is considered one of the potential causes of a rare pulmonary condition called bronchiolitis obliterans or popcorn lung.

The use of modern roasting equipment and adequate ventilation can mitigate the risk, however, micro-roasters operating in small areas can be more susceptible in case of inadequate ventilation and extraction of air.

How to reduce air-quality risks

• Ensure strong ventilation, especially near cooling/off-gassing areas

• Maintain extraction systems regularly (dust/oil build-up reduces effectiveness)

• Consider air quality monitoring (similar to CO detector-style monitoring)

• Provide PPE (e.g., masks) for staff with higher respiratory risk

3) A Simple Roastery Safety Checklist (UK-Ready)

If you want a practical safety baseline for a UK coffee roastery or London café roaster, start here:

Daily

• Floors clean and dry; no loose cables in walkways

• Hot surfaces labelled; gloves available

• Cooling/off-gassing area ventilated

Weekly

• Clean dust-prone areas

• Inspect cords, plugs, and emergency stops

• Review near-miss incidents with staff

Monthly

• Check extraction efficiency and airflow

• Refresh training for manual handling and burn prevention

• Consider air sampling/monitoring in enclosed spaces

4) When to Get Professional Support

When your team does not know what ventilation is needed, how the workflow should be laid out, or how the plan should control exposure, hiring an occupational safety consultant can allow you to develop a safer plan of roastery.