Workers’ Comp Lawyer Orchard Park, NY

Workers’ Comp Lawyer Orchard Park, NY

There are many different hazards that workers face on New York job sites. Those that work on industrial, manufacturing, and other sites often use a wide variety of chemicals and other dangerous materials while performing their job duties. A great many of these chemicals are extremely hazardous to workers and can cause serious – sometimes fatal – chemical burns. If you have suffered a chemical burn at work, a workers’ comp lawyer Orchard Park, in NY can help you get the benefits you may be entitled to.

Hazardous Chemicals

Many of the dangerous chemicals workers use that carry a high risk of burn injuries are bases and acids. Consider the type of chemicals you may have in your home just with everyday cleaning supplies – ammonia, bleach, drain cleaners – and just how hazardous those substances can be. Now imagine the type of chemicals in manufacturing and industrial settings. The chemicals in these settings are often much more powerful than the ones found in people’s homes. Workers in these settings also work with many other different types of perilous chemicals that can all cause horrific injury if exposed.

An Orchard Park, NY workers’ comp lawyer knows that when these strong and powerful chemicals come into contact with a worker’s skin, there can be an immediate injury to the skin. Even what appears to be a “minor” chemical burn can cause a great deal of pain and still run the risk of infection and even more injury.

The degree of a chemical burn depends on the strength of the chemical and how long the victim’s skin was exposed. Damage to the top layer of the skin is considered a superficial burn. When the burn goes deeper into the second layer, it is referred to as a partial thickness injury. And a chemical burn that seeps through the first two layers of skin and into the tissues underneath is referred to as a full-thickness burn.

Chemical Burn Treatment

When a worker suffers a chemical burn, it is critical to remove the chemical off the skin before any first aid treatment can be given. The worker’s clothing should also be removed, as well as any other items (equipment, jewelry, etc.) that may also have been exposed to the chemical. This should be followed by flushing the burn gently with cool water for at least 10 minutes. The victim should immediately seek out medical care in order to evaluate the full extent of the burn injury. It is also important that the worker notify their supervisor, following any process the company has in place. Ideally, all notifications should be done via email, so the injured worker has an electronic record of the notification.

Call Our Law Firm Today

If you have suffered a chemical burn at work – or any other job injury – contact an Orchard Park, NY workers’ comp lawyer from Hurwitz, Whitcher & Molloy, LLP to ensure you get all of the workers’ compensation benefits you may be entitled to.