How often these injuries happen
OSHA recorded 153 severe cases involving corrosive bases over the last decade. Chemical burns and corrosions account for 73% of these injuries, often resulting in permanent tissue damage or long-term respiratory complications.
You face significant risks to your eyes and facial regions, which can lead to high medical expenses and extended time away from your job.
Burned by chemicals? Check what benefits you may be owed.
Check My BenefitsHow these injuries happen
Most injuries occur when corrosive substances make direct contact with your tissue. This happens during routine tasks like cleaning filler machines, unhooking transfer hoses, or mixing concentrated chemicals in drums. When equipment like gaskets fail or protective protocols are ignored, caustic liquids spray onto you, causing immediate and deep chemical burns.
| Cause | Incidents | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Exposure to harmful substance through exposed tissue | 114 |
| 2 | Contact with hot objects or substances | 16 |
| 3 | Inhalation of harmful substance | 10 |
| 4 | Ingestion of harmful substance | 6 |
| 5 | Exposure to harmful substances— unspecified | 2 |
| 6 | Exposure to harmful substance—multiple routes of exposure | 2 |
| 7 | Struck by propelled object or substance | 1 |
| 8 | Struck by falling object | 1 |
Where injuries happen most
Manufacturing accounts for 43% of these incidents, as the high-volume use of caustic wash and industrial cleaners creates constant exposure risks. Construction follows at 18%, where you may handle hazardous substances in less controlled environments, increasing the likelihood of accidental splashes and severe chemical burns.
Real cases like yours
Recurring patterns in these reports show that equipment failure and inadequate personal protective equipment are the primary drivers of injury. Many incidents involve you performing routine maintenance or transfer tasks when a sudden spray of caustic liquid occurs. If any of these scenarios sound like what happened to you, an attorney can help you evaluate your rights and ensure your medical and financial needs are met.
| Year | State | Industry | Incident summary | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | GA | Manufacturing | "On July 31, 2025, two employees were walking near a friction wash tank when a rubber gasket on top of the tank blew. Hot water mixed with 50% caustic chemical sprayed out and rained down on the employees. Both employees were brought to an emergency shower and were neutralized with vinegar. One employee was hospitalized with chemical and thermal burns to their upper back 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 | OH | Manufacturing | "An employee mixed sodium hydroxide pellets into a 55-gallon drum of hot water. A chemical reaction occurred and mixture splashed out of the drum, causing burns to the employee's face and neck. Personal protective equipment was not in place at the time." | |
| 2025 | TX | Manufacturing | "Two employees were removing a discharge hose on a portable pump. A 50% caustic solution sprayed onto the employees, one of whom suffered burns to the eyes as well as an abrasion to the side of the body where the hose struck them. The employee was hospitalized." | |
| 2025 | GA | Transportation & Warehousing | "On April 28, 2025, an employee was unhooking a chemical transfer hose from the unloading valve on a tanker trailer when 45% caustic potash liquid fell onto the employee's left boot, resulting in chemical burns to the employee's foot. " | |
| 2025 | TX | Manufacturing | "A maintenance employee was troubleshooting a clean-in-place (CIP) line at the whey protein liquid processing area. The employee was repairing the CIP valve when a nearby valve pulsated and released hot water/caustic liquid that contacted the employee's abdomen and lower extremities. The employee was hospitalized for second-degree burns. " | |
| 2025 | ND | Manufacturing | "An employee was performing maintenance on a lime kiln sump pump when they sustained second- and third-degree chemical and thermal burns." | |
| 2025 | AR | Construction | "An employee was disconnecting a shotcrete line when they were exposed to an accelerant, sodium aluminate. The employee sustained chemical burns." | |
| 2025 | TX | Transportation & Warehousing | "An employee was offloading lime from a delivery truck. The line became clogged, and the employee hit it with a hammer. The chemical burst out of the hose and burned both the employee's eyes. The employee was hospitalized." | |
| 2025 | PA | Utilities | "An employee was unloading a tanker of sodium hydroxide when the line released the material onto the employee, causing them to be hospitalized with chemical burns." |
Source: OSHA Severe Injury Reports. Narratives are verbatim from filings; identifying details may have been redacted by OSHA.