Having an accident work can happen to anyone, in any type of working environment. It can be not only painful due to the injuries sustained, but also frustrating if it disables you from earning an income over a certain period during your recovery. Chemical burn injuries in the workplace are unfortunately, not unheard of and can cause some distressing effects to the person inflicted. Many employees are hesitant to make a claim due to worry about the rift it could cause between themselves and their employer; but employers have a duty of care to their workforce to ensure safety standards are met and adhered to.

Chemical burn injuries can range in severity depending on how long the chemical was in contact with the skin, whether the chemical touched open cuts and the type and amount of chemicals involved. Such burns can affect a person both physically and mentally, due to the pain and after affects it can cause. If you have suffered a chemical burn at work due to your employer’s negligence, then please call us today to see how we can help.

Types of Chemical Burns and How They’re Diagnosed

Chemical burns are classified from the extent of the injury and depth of the burn itself:

• Injury to the top layer of skin, or the epidermis, is called a superficial burn. This was formerly called a first-degree burn.
• Injury to the second layer of skin, or the dermis, is called a partial thickness injury or dermal injury. This was formerly called a second-degree burn.
• Injury to the third layer of skin, or subcutaneous tissue, is referred to as a full thickness injury. This was formerly called a third-degree burn.

Personal protective equipment (PPE) should always be worn when dealing with chemical substances to minimize a potential injury, but unfortunately accidents still occur despite the use of PPE.

First aid should be given immediately once a chemical burn has been sustained, whilst also rinsing off the chemical substance and removing any clothing or jewellery it came into contact with.

Anything above a superficial burn in which the pain can be relieved with over-the-counter painkillers needs to be immediately looked at by a healthcare professional.

When making a claim for a chemical burn accident at work, injury compensation claims will vary depending on the severity of the burn and the lasting damage is causes to the claimant’s physical and mental health.

Common Accidents That Lead to Chemical Burn Injuries at Work

As a personal injury solicitor, we have seen accidents occur in various types of working environment. Most chemical burns occur as a result of accidental misuse, clumsy handling or a malfunctioning error, and many job roles require the careful handling of chemical substances and equipment that can potentially cause harm if safety protocols are not followed precisely. To be successful in a personal injury claim regarding a chemical burn you must be able to prove that someone else, either your employer or a colleague, was at fault for your injury. The following occupations are most likely to be handling chemicals and dangerous substances on a regular basis:

Mechanic – Car battery acid is most commonly involved with chemical burn injuries from working with vehicles and heavy-duty equipment. Injury can easily be caused by accidental spillage whilst servicing a vehicle.

Cleaner – Many cleaning substances can cause injury if not handled correctly. The most common examples of cleaning equipment causing a chemical burn include bleach, ammonia, swimming pool cleaners, toilet and drain cleaners, metal cleaners and oven cleaner.

Labourer – Manual labourers encounter a range of jobs, alongside which come a range of materials and substances to use. The most typical products to cause chemical burns within this line of work include paint thinners, concrete mix and metal cleaner.

Science teacher – It goes without saying that a teacher specialising in science will be expected to handle a range of chemicals during their lessons. Even with appropriate personal protective equipment and vigorous safety standards, accidents in the classroom during practical experiments can still occur and cause injury.

If you have suffered a chemical burn from any circumstance in the workplace over the last three years, then get in touch for one of our experts to talk you through the claims process.

Your Right to Claim Chemical Burn at Work Compensation

It is understandable that many people feel reluctant to make a claim against their employer. However, your employer should have the appropriate insurance to cover any claims concerning personal injury at work, and they are not legally allowed to terminate your employment contract or treat you differently due to any claim you make. Your employer will not suffer from any financial losses if they have the appropriate insurance policies in place. Most injuries, including chemical burn injuries, can be prevented if employers keep on top of potential hazards. If your employer fails to follow safety protocols and procedures, then you have a right to make an accident at work claim and our highly experienced team of personal injury solicitors can provide you with free legal advice and assess how much compensation you may be entitled to. Your employer has not fulfilled their duty of care if they are:

• Not carrying out appropriate risk assessments
• Not providing sufficient personal protective equipment
• Not maintaining equipment and machinery efficiently
• Not enforcing health and safety regulations
• Not training employees appropriately on how to use machinery or chemicals and carry out practices safely
• Not ensuring the workplace is free of hazards, such as liquid spills
• Not displaying appropriate hazard warning signs such as ‘wet floor’ signages

Reporting the Accident

The first thing you should do when you have sustained a chemical burn at work is to seek medical attention. All workplaces should have a trained first aider to assist you, though for more serious burns you will need emergency care from your local accident and emergency department. You should then go onto make an appointment with a GP or other healthcare professional to make a note of the extent of your injuries to help your claim.

When you have reported your chemical burn injury to your employer, they should record it in the accident book which will go on to be an important piece of evidence in your personal injury claim, accident books should contain the following information:

• Name and contact details of the injured person
• Name and contact details of the person reporting the accident
• Details of the accident including date, time, location
• Details of the injuries sustained and what actions were taken to help the individual
• How the accident happened in the form of CCTV or photographs

It will also be important to your claim if your employer previously failed to address any health and safety issues you may have raised before your chemical burn at work accident, as it would prove that they were negligent in their lack of action. Taking photographs of the scene of the accident, pictures of your injuries, gaining witness statements and recording all of your expenses will also prove invaluable to the claims process.

Why Should You Make a Claim for a Chemical Burn at Work Compensation?

Making a claim for a chemical burn at work can be a daunting prospect as it can take a long time to resolve and is a complicated process. Therefore, it is recommended to use an experienced and knowledgeable personal injury solicitor if you are burned at work and seeking compensation for both your physical and mental health surrounding the experience. Due to the complex nature of chemical burns, it is likely you will not be able to continue working for a certain period of time, meaning you are experiencing financial losses that may affect your ability to pay for your bills and daily living expenses. Making a claim for compensation over a chemical burn at work means you can hope to recoup your losses to remove the anxiety surrounding the costs of living during and beyond your burn recovery. You are also entitled to justice because you should always be protected at work. By making a claim, you could also highlight any issues which caused the injury. Your employer can then make changes to address it to make the workplace safer for everyone working there.

Chemical Burn Injury at Work Compensation Amounts

As every accident at work and injury sustained is different, it is difficult to pinpoint how much compensation you can expect to receive. The amount will depend on the severity of the chemical burn and the long-term lasting damage, such as scarring or nerve damage. Compensation is split into general damages, for your injury, and special damages, for your additional losses. A simple online claims calculator will estimate that burn injuries can be valued anywhere from £1,890 up to an estimated maximum compensation amount of £83,550.

Without knowing the details and specifics of your accident it is difficult to determine how much an injury is worth. In most cases, you will be required to attend an appointment with a medical expert who will document the extent of your injuries and recommend further treatment, if required. We will be unable to provide an exact figure for your injuries without the report from the medical expert.

You will also be able to make a claim for any financial losses you sustained as the result of your chemical burn injuries, such as loss of earnings, travel costs, and treatment costs.

No Win, No Fee Chemical Burn at Work Compensation

We handle all personal injury claims on a ‘no win no fee’ basis. This means that there is no loss to you even if the claim is unsuccessful. Under the ‘no win no fee’ agreement (also known as conditional or contingency fee agreement) we also offer ‘after the event insurance’ (ATE) so you will not be liable to pay for any costs of the opponent should you lose the claim. The only fees you will pay come into effect if you win the compensation for a chemical burn injury at work claim, and usually this amounts to around 25% or less of the amount of compensation received.

Why Choose Beacon Law?

Beacon Law is a specialist personal injury solicitor with experience of dealing with chemical burns at work claims. We provide an exceptional standard of service to our clients and work tirelessly to ensure we achieve the best possible outcome and highest level of compensation for your injuries. Beacon Law is authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority. To find out more about our no win, no fee claims funding and legal fees, please have a look at the funding section on our website.

If you have suffered a chemical burn at work injury over the last three years due to negligence in the workplace, then please call us today on 0330 1332 857 to start your claim or complete our contact form at the top of the page to request a call back from a member of our personal injury team.