People often talk of violent work injuries such as falling injuries or stuck-by injuries at construction sites or shipyards. Yet people that work in factories or handle chemically based items on a regular basis are also at risk for an entirely different type of injury. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 13 million workers in the United States are potentially exposed to chemicals that can be absorbed through the skin. Many workplaces are fully aware of the danger of gaseous chemicals and will go to great length to prevent exposure of chemicals that could be inhaled.
On the other hand, many workplaces don't put a special emphasis on protecting workers from chemicals that could be absorbed through the skin, even though the risk is great. Chemicals that can be absorbed through the skin can create a variety of different skin conditions that can be damaging or permanent. These include irritant contact dermatitis, skin infections, skin cancers, allergic contact dermatitis, or a skin injury. Contact dermatitis is the most common types of occupational illness and the costs for dermatitis treatment is exceeding $1 billion per year.
Dermatitis and other skin conditions can result from work in a variety of different environments. The CDC says that some of the industries that present the risk of skin infections and conditions are painting, mechanics, printing and lithography, construction, agriculture, cosmetology, food service, health care, and cleaning. Other industries that deal with chemicals on a regular basis are also at risk to this danger. The skin can be damaged by mechanical, chemical, physical, and biological means. Still, chemical agents are the number one cause for occupational skin diseases and disorders.
The chemicals that affect the skin can be divided into two categories. There are primary irritants and sensitizers. Primary irritants are those that act directly on the skin through a chemical reaction. Sensitizers on the other hand do not cause immediate skin reactions but after repeated exposure a worker may develop an allergic reaction to the product. A worker's skin can be exposed to chemicals through splashes of the chemical, immersion into the chemical, the deposition of aerosols, or direct contact with a contaminated surface.
When a chemical touches the skin, it won't just rest on the surface. According to the CDC, dermal absorption allows the chemicals to go into the body. The absorption of chemicals into the body this way can go unnoticed by a busy worker. Exposure can be strong or slight depending on the skin's integrity, the location of the exposure, and the physical and chemical properties of the substance. Also, the concentration of the chemicals on the skin surface can affect the result of the exposure as well as the duration of the exposure. Open wounds will result in stronger exposure than closed and healthy skin.
If you are a worker who has been exposed to a dangerous chemical, you may want to look to signs of contact dermatitis. This illness is also commonly referred to as irritant contact dermatitis. This is a non-immunologic reaction that is commonly caused by phototoxic responses or highly irritating substances like acids and oxiding agents. Also, mild irritants like water detergents or cleaning agents can elicit a minimal reaction. Allergic contact dermatitis is an inflammation of the skin that is caused by an immunologic reaction that is triggered by the dermal contact to the skin allergen.
A worker must be sensitized to the allergen in order to develop an allergic dermatitis reaction. If you want more information about dermatitis or skin conditions then you need to contact an attorney today for more information! With the right lawyer on your side, you may be able to seek financial damages for the medical bills that you have had to pay.