Bakery environments can present challenges for electrical safety, with fine flour dust circulating in the air and regular exposure to water during cleaning. As a result, equipment should be designed to support dry cleaning methods as standard to safely remove flour dust without introducing moisture around sensitive electrics. When liquids are involved, a full washdown is essential, creating an added risk if equipment is not adequately protected. Selecting bakery equipment with the correct Ingress Protection (IP) rating ensures electrical components are sealed against both airborne flour dust and washdown water, helping to prevent failures, reduce contamination risks, and maintain reliable, efficient production.
What do IP65 and IP56 actually mean?
An IP rating has two numbers: the first digit shows protection from solids (dust), crucial when flour dust is constantly airborne and settling inside panels, fittings and motors. The second digit shows protection from water, which is important for wipe-downs, hose downs and washdown cleaning that can force water into unsuitable equipment.
Quick guide: IP65 vs IP56
IP65 = dust-tight (no dust ingress) and protected against water jets from any direction. A solid all-round choice for most bakery production areas.
IP56 = dust-protected (limited dust ingress allowed) and protected against powerful water jets. In tougher washdown zones, you may also see IP66 specified (dust-tight and powerful water jets).
Why this matters:
Correctly rated equipment supports food safety and hygiene standards by allowing effective cleaning that aligns with HACCP controls and reduces harbourage points. It also cuts nuisance faults by limiting moisture and dust ingress (fewer trips, sensor errors and intermittent failures), helps assets last longer by reducing corrosion, tracking and short-circuit risk, and lowers maintenance costs by reducing emergency callouts and unplanned replacement parts.
Where to specify IP65 vs IP56/66 in a bakery
IP65 is best for general production areas with heavy ingredient dust such as mixing, scaling, depositing, conveyors, ingredient handling, and most high-bay/line lighting.
While IP56 / IP66 is better suited to washdown-heavy zones, for example near sanitation points, open product handling areas, and anywhere routinely hit with hoses or strong spray during clean-down.
Maintenance mini-check:
- Check seals and gaskets on enclosures, luminaires and junction boxes, cracked or flattened seals quickly turn “IP-rated” into “IP-questionable”.
- Inspect cable glands for tightness and correct sizing (especially after modifications).
- Look for tell-tale signs: e.g. moisture inside covers, flour caking around hinges, rust staining, or nuisance tripping after washdown.
- Protect during cleaning: avoid directing high-pressure jets at seals, glands and vents unless the equipment is specified for it.
- Document changes: like-for-like replacements matter, swapping a fitting for a lower IP model is a common cause of repeat failures.
If you’re unsure whether an item is correctly specified for its location, or you’re seeing repeat faults after cleaning, the team at European Process Plant Ltd (EPP), can help you review critical assets and agree an IP standard by area.