Chemical Exposure Injury Lawyers

When workers are well protected with safety gear and are trained in proper safety protocols chemical burns are easily avoided. If workers are forced to use low-quality safety equipment, aren’t properly trained to handle chemicals, or are lax about wearing safety equipment when they should, chemical burns occur.

Depending on a workers occupation and the chemicals they come in contact with, they may only suffer minor chemical burns, such as a janitor that was splashed with some bleach. Conversely, a worker tasked with pulling samples of a highly concentrated chemical for testing at a fabricating plant may suffer more severe burns, if they come in contact with the chemical.

Occupations that commonly handle potentially dangerous chemicals, include:

• Construction workers
• Chemical plant employees
• Farm workers
• Hairdressers
• Janitors
• Laboratory staff
• Mechanics
• Mine workers
• Nail technicians
• Painters
• Pool cleaners
• Transport industry workers
• Welders

Many occupations involve the use of chemicals that are potentially dangerous — such as benzene — when they’re improperly used. While those who handle such chemicals should be trained in their use and given proper protective gear, that’s not always the case and workers are injured as a result.

Some of the most common chemicals found at work are made with sulfuric acid, which is used in drain cleaners, fertilizer, and car battery fluid. Another common chemical is hydrochloric acid, which is used in metal, stone, and pool cleaners.

Potassium and sodium hydroxide are also commonly used in the workplace in denture and oven cleaners. So are sodium and calcium hypochlorite, which are the main components of bleaches and ammonia.

Ultimately, workers’ are burned by either an acid or a base. Bases are often more dangerous than acids, which can be rinsed relatively quickly, according to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Bases on the other hand, may take up to 20 minutes to fully rinse off.

Workplace chemical burns affected less than one in every 10,000 workers in 2016, and required a median of three days away from work, according to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics.

A study conducted at a Georgia hospital, however, found that out of 2,510 adult patients admitted with acute burns, 384 cases were work related, and 16 percent of those were caused by chemical burns. The study concluded that, “burn injuries at the workplace predominantly occur among young male workers, and the study has shown that chemical burns are relatively frequent.”

The severity of a chemical burn is directly relevant to the concentration strength of the chemical, and the amount and duration of bodily contact with the chemical. Consequently, it’s important to identify and treat a burn as quickly as possible.

According to a WebMd article reviewed by Dr. Louise Chang, the most common symptoms of chemical burns are:

• Inflammation and burning at point of contact;
• Pain or numbness at point of contact;
• Blisters or black or dead skin;
• Vision complications, if exposed to an eye;
• Difficulty or painful breathing in the event of inhalation; and
• In rare occurrences, cardiac arrest and/or death.

Chemical burns are a medical emergency. If first aid isn’t readily available to quickly flush the chemical from your eyes, mouth, neck, abdomen, hand, or foot than extensive tissue damage, blindness, disfigurement, and even death can occur.

Clothing that came in contact with the chemical must be removed, and the contact area must be flushed with water immediately. It is recommended to flush the area with clean water for at least 10 minutes, according to Mayo Clinic.

Medical staff may need to administer an intravenous solution to stabilize blood pressure and heart rate and apply pain medication. The area of the wound will also need to be cleaned and bandaged, Mayo Clinic says.

Some chemical burns can be very severe. After treatment, there may be significant scarring and disfigurement. Burns in the eye could result in permanent blindness. If swallowed, internal chemical burns can lead to serious gastrointestinal issues, according to Dr. Chang.

In some instances, extensive follow up care and therapy may be needed. The pain from a chemical burn can be excruciating and enduring, and pain management could be a major part of treatment.

Workers who suffer severe chemical burns that were no fault of their own could be entitled to compensation for lost wages, accrued and ongoing medical bills, and even funeral costs, if the burn injury leads to wrongful death. Contact our chemical burn lawyers today for a no-cost, no-risk case evaluation.