How often these injuries happen
OSHA recorded 802 severe cases of chemical exposure over the last decade, with chemical burns and corrosions accounting for 79% of these incidents. These injuries often result in immediate, painful damage to skin and tissue that requires urgent medical intervention.
When chemicals contact your skin or eyes, the resulting damage can lead to long-term complications and significant recovery time.
Common injuries
Chemical injuries typically occur when safety protocols fail during the handling, storage, or transport of hazardous materials. Corrosive acids and bases are the most frequent sources of injury, often leaking from containers or spraying during equipment maintenance. Many incidents involve cleaning agents that are improperly labeled or handled without adequate personal protective equipment, leading to direct contact with your tissue.
| 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 severe chemical exposure cases, largely due to the frequent use of industrial-grade solvents and reactive agents. You face heightened risks when purification systems, chemical lines, or processing equipment fail to contain hazardous substances during your routine operations.
Real cases like yours
Common patterns in these incidents include equipment failures like ruptured sight glasses, leaking packages during delivery, and accidental reactions between incompatible chemicals in floor drains. These reports demonstrate that even routine maintenance or cleaning tasks can turn dangerous when safety barriers are absent. If any of these scenarios sound like what happened to you, an attorney can help you review the specifics of your incident.
| 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.
Frequently asked questions
Chemical burns and corrosions are the most frequent injuries, often affecting your eyes. These injuries can range from surface-level irritation to deep tissue damage that requires hospitalization and ongoing treatment. An attorney can help you document the full extent of your injury for your claim.
Workers' Compensation is designed to cover medical expenses and lost wages for injuries you sustain on the job, including chemical burns and toxic exposures. If you were injured while performing your duties, you are generally entitled to benefits regardless of fault. An attorney can help you verify that your benefits are being calculated correctly.
Employers are required to provide a safe workplace, which includes proper training, labeling, and personal protective equipment for handling hazardous substances. If a failure to follow these safety standards led to your injury, you may have grounds for a claim. An attorney can help you investigate whether your employer violated safety regulations.
Seek medical attention immediately, as chemical burns can worsen over time even after the initial contact. Ensure the incident is reported to your supervisor and documented in writing to create an official record of the exposure. An attorney can help you gather the necessary evidence to support your Workers' Compensation claim.