Industrial chemicals serve the purpose of degreasing, removing residue, getting rid of biohazards, reducing microbes, or eliminating carbon build-up. To accomplish their intended purposes, they rely on harsh chemicals that are unsafe for humans to inhale or touch on a routine basis, putting workers at risk. While an injury or health condition from the substances isn’t always someone else’s fault, in cases when it is, a skilled personal injury lawyer such as those at Hendrickson & Long, PLLC may be able to help.
Chemical Burns
Degreasers, sanitizers, and other industrial cleaners may contain strong acids or bases, such as hydrochloric acid, hydrofluoric acid, or sodium hydroxide. If you should spill or splash any of the substances on your skin, sometimes even if you have clothing covering the area, you could develop a chemical burn.
With this type of burn, the substance will burn the underlying tissue until you wash or neutralize it completely. As a result, you could damage multiple layers of skin, subdermal tissue, muscles, ligaments, nerves, or vessels.
The damage could be permanent, cause tissue death, or result in permanent scarring. Treatment may include skin grafting, surgical debridement of dead tissue, or reconstructive surgery. When the soft tissue is involved, you may need to undergo physical therapy.
Eye Injuries
An airborne mist, vapor, or splash can make contact with your eyes and cause irritation or damage. While minor irritation may heal on its own, some incidents could lead to permanent damage and even total or partial vision loss. The pain caused by the exposure can be severe, and the substance could cause chemical conjunctivitis, corneal abrasions, corneal clouding, and corneal ulceration. Depending on the substance, even brief, minor exposure can cause serious consequences, especially if it’s not flushed promptly and completely.
Mixing Chemicals Comes with Risks
Although a single substance is dangerous, intentionally or inadvertently mixing two chemicals can produce toxic gases that can damage your lung tissue or cause fluid in your lungs (pulmonary edema). The substance created may replace the oxygen in the air surrounding you or affect how your body uses or absorbs oxygen, ultimately causing you to suffocate.
While it’s not as common, combining two incompatible chemicals can result in death by either completely depriving you of oxygen, causing an explosion, or contributing to respiratory failure.
Neurological Issues from Exposure
When you’re inhaling certain substances on a frequent basis, the gases or vapors produced will enter your lungs and then the bloodstream. From there, it’s possible for them to reach the nervous system. These substances can also go through the blood-brain barrier and reach the brain.
Repeated exposure can lead to memory loss, headaches, chronic fatigue, mood changes, trouble concentrating, and numbness and tingling in your arms, legs, hands, or feet. Long-term exposure could also cause Parkinson-like symptoms or affect movement and coordination. Depending on the severity, damage to the nervous system is sometimes fully or partially reversible. In severe cases, it can be permanent.
You should know that even if you’re wearing a mask or respirator, you could still be at risk for these issues. Some substances will absorb through the skin and reach the nervous system. Plus, the cartridge on a respirator only lasts so long, and some masks aren’t designed to filter toxic gases. Moreover, high concentrations of the chemical in the air can be more than the respirator can handle.
Occupational Asthma
Routine or repeated exposure to certain cleaning agents can sensitize the respiratory system, triggering occupational asthma or worsening an existing case.
Most commonly, repeated exposure trains your immune system to recognize the chemical as a threat. When the particles from the chemical bind to the proteins in your respiratory tract, your immune system may attack them, leading to inflammatory reactions that affect your breathing.
Kidney and Liver Damage
Your kidneys and liver filter harmful substances out of your system to protect you from toxicity. When you’re continuously breathing in or touching the chemicals in industrial cleaners, these organs are working to eliminate them from your system. This constant burden can overload or overwork your kidneys or liver, possibly leading to toxic hepatitis, cirrhosis, nephrotoxicity, or chronic organ failure.
Cancer
A number of industrial cleaners, including degreasers and disinfectants, contain possible, probable, or known carcinogens. What this means is the substance may damage the DNA in your cells. The chemical can cause DNA mutations that cause the cells to divide uncontrollably or fail to undergo cell death as they should. The chemical exposure may lead to the cells losing their ability to regulate cell division.
Some of the more common areas for industrial cleaner exposure to cause cancer include the kidneys, blood, breast, cervix, bone marrow, bladder, liver, and lungs. Examples of cancer frequently caused by chemical exposure are as follows:
- Acute myeloid leukemia (AML)
- Non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL)
- Multiple myeloma
- Angiosarcoma
Working around industrial cleaning chemicals frequently can lead to acute and chronic issues. Although some hazards are well-known and safety measures are in place, others may not receive the same amount of attention. In some cases, the problem can arise from improper training, neglecting to provide the necessary safety equipment, failure to create a safe work environment, or other issues that could stem from your employer or a third party. A work injury lawyer can determine if you have a case and discuss your options.