How often these injuries happen
OSHA recorded 224 severe cases involving toxic non-metallic compounds over the last decade. These incidents frequently result in effects of poison or toxic exposure, which account for 57 percent of all reported injury types.
Exposure to these substances often leads to severe health outcomes. These injuries are particularly dangerous because they can cause long-term respiratory damage and internal organ trauma that requires extensive medical intervention.
Exposed to toxic chemicals? Check what benefits you may be owed.
Check My BenefitsHow these injuries happen
Inhalation of harmful substances is the primary cause of injury, accounting for 60 percent of all reported incidents. You are often exposed when chemical containment systems fail, such as during routine maintenance or when incompatible chemicals are mixed, leading to the rapid release of toxic gases into your workspace.
| Cause | Incidents | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Inhalation of harmful substance | 133 |
| 2 | Exposure to harmful substance through exposed tissue | 57 |
| 3 | Exposure to harmful substances— unspecified | 8 |
| 4 | Exposure to harmful substance—multiple routes of exposure | 7 |
| 5 | Contact with cold objects or substances | 7 |
| 6 | Flash fire | 5 |
| 7 | Ingestion of harmful substance | 3 |
| 8 | Contact with hot objects or substances | 2 |
Where injuries happen most
Manufacturing accounts for 37 percent of all reported toxic exposure cases. This rate is driven by the intensive use of industrial chemicals in production processes, where even minor failures in ventilation or storage protocols can lead to immediate and severe respiratory or dermal injuries for you.
Real cases like yours
Common patterns in these reports involve the accidental release of gases during equipment maintenance, the mixing of incompatible cleaning agents, or the failure of containment seals. These incidents frequently occur when safety protocols are bypassed or equipment is improperly maintained. If any of these scenarios sound like what happened to you, an attorney can help you evaluate your legal options.
| Year | State | Industry | Incident summary | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | LA | Administrative Services | "An employee was performing preventative maintenance on a tanker trailer. He moved a hose for an inspection date and residual liquid toluene diisocyanate (TDI) came out of the hose and onto the employee's face, eyes, and hands. He was hospitalized with breathing issues." | |
| 2024 | DE | Manufacturing | "An employee was exposed to chlorine dioxide, an anti-bacterial chemical, when processing seafood in two mixing tanks. The gas permeated the room and the employee suffered upper respiratory distress." | |
| 2023 | PA | Manufacturing | "An employee was working in the engine room, adjusting the oil pressure, when they were exposed to ammonia gas and sustained burns." | |
| 2023 | TX | Manufacturing | "An employee was preparing a pump for maintenance. When the employee removed a cover, chemicals were released into the air. The employee was exposed to hydrogen sulfide and methyl mercaptan and was hospitalized." | |
| 2023 | MA | Health Care | "An employee was loading an ammonia-based sanitizer into a commercial dishwashing machine. The residual chlorine sanitizer in the detergent line reacted with the ammonia and created chloramine gas that the employee inhaled." | |
| 2023 | CA | Other Services | "On October 30, 2023, an employee was boarding a bus when they smelled something on the bus and began to feel sick. The freon line was loose and had leaked into the passenger compartment. The employee was hospitalized." | |
| 2023 | NY | Administrative Services | "An employee was picking up trash bags on a route and putting the bags in the back of a garbage truck. The employee was compacting the trash when one of the bags released vapor and dust from chlorine and pool cleaning chemicals. The vapor and dust contacted the employee's eyes and mouth and were inhaled. The employee was hospitalized with chemical irritation to the eyes and lungs." | |
| 2023 | IL | Transportation & Warehousing | "An employee was driving their truck near an accident involving a semi-truck that was carrying about 7,500 gallons of anhydrous ammonia. The employee was exposed to the fumes and was hospitalized." | |
| 2023 | FL | Construction | "Two employees were pulling an attached line plug out from a well. Employee 1 went into the well to try and remove the plug but could not. Employee 2 then entered the well and removed the plug before losing consciousness. Employee 1 went back into the well to help employee 2 and lost consciousness as well. Both employees were hospitalized due to hydrogen sulfide exposure." | |
| 2023 | GA | Manufacturing | "An employee was exposed to chlorine dioxide that is produced on site to bleach pulp, resulting in a chemical burn due to inhalation. The employee was hospitalized." |
Source: OSHA Severe Injury Reports. Narratives are verbatim from filings; identifying details may have been redacted by OSHA.