- April 12, 2020
- Workers' Compensation
There are many chemicals that lead to chemical burns, or issues of skin irritation that can affect daily life. The chemicals that can cause these burns to include anything from heavy-duty cleaners such as degreaser or bleach to less common chemicals such as muriatic acid and other pool cleaners.
Many people face chemical burn risks in their jobs and don’t even know it. Get yourself guarded against these risks by knowing the possibilities and learn what the chances are of these injuries. Whenever you’re in doubt after an injury at your workplace, then you can always reach out to a Charlotte, NC workers compensation attorney.
Can You Get Chemical Burns?
Absolutely! Anyone can get chemical burns, but there are professions that are more suspectable to it than others. For example, cosmetologists who work with bleach and other chemicals may experience these burns more often. Mechanics and others who handle any variety of battery, especially car batteries, can experience chemical burns.
Overall, many people don’t realize how real a risk chemical burns can be and that it’s something to consider in your everyday life—any type of acid, bleach, or even common alkali such as lye. Chemicals are something that we interact with whenever we touch something. There’s always the presence of a natural alkali or acid or some cleaner.
What Places of Employment Put Employees at Risk of Chemical Burns?
Most people in blue-collar jobs are at risk of chemical burns. A gardener, pool cleaner, cosmetologist, house cleaner, construction person, and fabricator are all at risk, although their jobs seem to have very little in common.
Basically, if you handle any form of chemicals, then you are at risk for a chemical burn. Now, some people are more resilient, while others are more sensitive. It doesn’t matter how resilient you think you are; you must always follow basic safety protocol. That means wearing any necessary protective equipment, masks, and handling the chemicals correctly.
Someone working with bleach, for example, should not handle the chemical in an open container and dip into it with an unguarded hand. Instead, it should be in a spray bottle, diluted, or in a form where the hand contact is at a minimum. That person should also wear gloves that don’t carry the risk of flooding with the solution.
Can Those Chemicals Cause Other Serious Injuries or Conditions
Yes, chemicals which cause burns can often lead to death. Bleach, lye, and many acids will likely lead to death if swallowed or inhaled. Serious injuries, even if not inhaling directly over the product, can include chemical burns within the esophagus, mouth, and even lungs. Metal cleaners can set into the skin, and acid can continue burning until neutralized with a base.
These serious injuries can include loss of limb, loss of limb function, loss of senses, and more. Chemical burns are often very severe, and you should not handle these matters lightly. Always seek immediate medical attention. Chemical burns can lead to muscle deterioration, seizures, cardiac arrest, and other symptoms in severe cases.
Will You be Able to Submit a Worker’s Compensation Claim?
As long as the chemical burn was related to work, then you should have no problem filing a claim. What you should expect is to have to see a doctor through the medical network that your employer’s insurance supports. Additionally, you should have notified them of the accident at the time of the burn and followed up with that accident report later.
If there are problematic elements of your claim, such as a manager saying it was your fault and that you can’t file a report, then you have something else to tackle. A Charlotte workers comp attorney can help sort out your application, your appeals, and any issues that fall in line with your claim.
Chemical burns often get brushed off as not serious, until the symptoms of deterioration and long-term damage begin to appear.
Reach out to a Worker’s Compensation Attorney in Charlotte, NC
Charlotte’s Workers Compensation Lawyers helps people guide the overly secretive and insurance geared worker’s comp system. Too often, people overlook conditions and injuries that could easily be painted as the employee’s fault. The trouble is that managers and company policy will often set up the case, so it seems as though processes and procedures promote safety, don’t fall into that trap.
You deserve workers’ compensation protection, and your employer or their insurance provider shouldn’t guard against that. Contact Charlotte Workers Compensation Lawyers for assistance on handling your worker’s compensation application.
