Chemical Burns and Eye Injury Claims

In the chemical and pharmaceutical industries the most obvious risk factors that present themselves are things like chemical burns and exposure to hazardous materials, which may often be inherent in the nature of the industry.

In this context, the provision and use of appropriate safety goggles and protective clothing and equipment will be vitally important. Of course, provision is only one aspect. If all necessary clothing and equipment are made available but the system or culture of work is such that it is very difficult or impossible to attain the targets which have been set when using the equipment provided, an employer will not escape liability for their employees’ injuries.

Shift work tends to be commonplace in the chemical and pharmaceutical industries, with skeleton crews in place at certain times of the day or night. This may result in there not being sufficient numbers of staff on duty as might be required by best practice. In addition, working long or unusual shift patterns out of sync with natural circadian rhythms can result in excessive levels of tiredness by an individual or their co-workers, which can contribute to accidents.

If you believe any of the above scenarios may be true to your situation, you may have grounds to bring a chemical burns claim against your employer. Our experienced solicitors will be able to help you ascertain if have good grounds to make a claim.

Common Scenarios Resulting in Chemical Injuries

In addition to the aforementioned, there is a multitude of other scenarios that can lead to life-changing chemical burns or inhalation injuries. This includes the following:

• Unsafe storage of chemicals in your place of work.
• Work equipment that has not had regular checks and safety inspections.
• The use of cheap protective work clothing and gear that does not meet compliance standards.
• The spillage of chemicals whilst in transit.
• Over-exposure to corrosive cleaning products.

There may, of course, be many other scenarios where you have the legitimate basis to initiate bringing a compensation case.

If you have suffered a chemical burn, inhalation or eye injury, you may find the following links useful.

• Healthline – Chemical Burns Causes & Symptoms
• MSD Manual – Gas and Chemical Exposure
• US National Library of Medicine – Ocular chemical injuries and their management