How often these injuries happen
OSHA recorded 802 severe cases of chemical exposure over the last decade. Chemical burns and corrosions account for 79% of these incidents, often resulting in immediate tissue damage and long-term medical complications.
The severity of these exposures often leads to permanent scarring or respiratory impairment, fundamentally changing your ability to return to your previous role.
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Free Benefits ReviewCommon injuries
Chemical exposure at work typically occurs when safety protocols fail during the handling of hazardous materials. Corrosive acids are the primary source of these injuries, accounting for 26% of incidents, often leaking from damaged containers or spraying during equipment maintenance. You are frequently harmed when cleaning agents or toxic compounds are improperly stored, leading to accidental contact with skin or eyes during routine tasks.
| Injury Type | Incidents | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chemical burns, corrosions | 632 |
| 2 | Effects of poison, toxic, or allergenic exposure— unspecified | 88 |
| 3 | Traumatic injuries or exposures— unspecified | 41 |
| 4 | Allergic and irritant dermatitis— acute | 12 |
| 5 | Infections of the skin and subcutaneous tissue | 11 |
| 6 | Anaphylactic shock, anaphylaxis | 3 |
| 7 | Cuts, lacerations, punctures without injury to internal structures | 2 |
| 8 | Bacterial diseases— unspecified | 2 |
Where injuries happen most
Manufacturing accounts for 45% of all chemical exposure cases. This high rate is driven by the regular use of industrial-grade solvents and acids in production lines, where a single equipment failure or oversight in personal protective equipment can lead to severe, life-altering burns.
Real cases like yours
Common patterns in these incidents involve the sudden release of vapors during equipment restarts, leaks from improperly secured packages, or chemical reactions occurring in floor drains during cleaning. If any of these scenarios sound like what happened to you, an attorney can review the specifics of your incident to determine if employer negligence contributed to your injury.
| Year | State | Industry | Incident summary | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | LA | Manufacturing | "Employees were investigating the vapor conditions at the purification vent scrubber after a restart. Employees were looking through the sight glass, when the glass ruptured, releasing chemical vapors. Two employees sustained chemical burns to their upper body." | |
| 2025 | MA | Transportation & Warehousing | "An employee was delivering a package when it leaked acid on their skin, burning it." | |
| 2025 | OH | Mining | "An employee was de-bundling cubed feedstock consisting of plastic barrels. The employee was putting feedstock into the shredders manually. She lifted a drum to put it in the shredding machine and sulfuric acid spilled down the front of her left leg. The employee sustained chemical burns to her lower leg requiring hospitalization." | |
| 2025 | NJ | Other Services | "An employee was washing the tunnel equipment area using a sprayer and a chemical containing 5-10% hydrofluoric acid. The chemical seeped into his clothing and caused chemical burns to his abdomen and upper thighs. The employee was hospitalized." | |
| 2025 | ID | Agriculture | "Three maintenance employees were working on chemical lines feeding into a large above ground wastewater treatment tank. Sodium hydroxide and sulfuric acid reacted in a floor drain and the chemicals sprayed onto the three employees. One employee was taken to the hospital for burns to his eyes." | |
| 2025 | PA | Manufacturing | "An employee was lifting a level controller that had been on a vertical tank. Residual phenol-containing liquid dripped onto his right thigh, causing a chemical burn. He was hospitalized." | |
| 2025 | WA | Public Administration | "An employee was using a pump to transfer hazardous waste between barrels when the pump broke and sprayed the mixture into the employee's face, resulting in chemical burns to their face and eyes." | |
| 2025 | NY | Agriculture | "An employee was cleaning a filler machine. The machine began to leak and was paused. Believing that the machine had been set to abort, the employee started to remove a clamp by the leak. Caustic wash sprayed out, striking the employee in the face and shoulder. He suffered a chemical burn to the side of the face and in the mouth." | |
| 2025 | LA | Utilities | "An employee was tightening a cooling hose clamp when it failed. Cooling chemicals sprayed onto his arms, stomach, and inner thighs, causing burns." | |
| 2025 | AR | Manufacturing | "An employee was changing a part in a mixing room. While removing the part, the employee came into contact with a caustic chemical that burned the employee's left hand and arm. The employee was hospitalized." |
Source: OSHA Severe Injury Reports. Narratives are verbatim from filings; identifying details may have been redacted by OSHA.