Workers’ Compensation: Toxic Fume Exposure in the Workplace

If you have suffered an injury in an accident at work, the workers’ compensation attorneys at Silverman, McDonald & Friedman are ready help you claim the benefits you are entitled to so you can focus on recovering from your injuries. Please contact us to schedule your consultation with a Newark, Seaford or Wilmington workers’ compensation attorney today.

Exposure to toxic fumes in the workplace is a byproduct of the complex, modern world in which we live. During the process of manufacturing the vehicles, unearthing the fuel for those vehicles, products, and building structures workers are exposed to a host of toxic fumes as they perform their work each day. The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has rules and regulations to protect workers from toxic chemicals, and they are required to provide safety equipment and training to keep them safe as they do their jobs.

When workers suffer from exposure to toxic fumes in the workplace, they can suffer grave injuries and occupational diseases such as lung and urinary tract cancer, respiratory disease, damage to the kidneys and nervous system disorders. OSHA warns employers about the possibility that workers can succumb to occupational diseases after contact with chemicals over weeks, months and years. This cumulative exposure creates significant health risks that workers may not be aware is even happening until years later when they start developing symptoms.

OSHA has set Hazard Communication Standards (HCS) that requires employers to develop and disseminate information about the identities and hazards of the chemicals that workers are exposed to each day. The law requires chemical manufacturers and importers to prepare labels and safety data that convey the hazard information about their products to the end consumer. All employers whose employees work with hazardous chemicals are required to identify and evaluate the respiratory hazards in their workplaces and make sure that they do not exceed the Occupational Exposure Limits (OELs), and they must provide appropriate respiratory protection at no cost to the worker, and provide training and education about how to use them.

Occupations at risk for exposure to hazardous substances

Some of the various occupations and industries with employees that could be at risk from exposure to hazardous substances includes but is in no way limited to:

• Welders who might be exposed to hazardous fumes that can injure their respiratory systems
• Oil and gas industry workers who do hydraulic fracturing and other work are exposed to airborne silica which increases the risk of developing respiratory problems and lung diseases
• Mechanics who are exposed to oil and grease, paint, solvents and exhaust fumes that can cause health problems
• Hairdressers and nail technicians who are exposed to products that can damage their skin and fumes that can cause lung problems
• Healthcare workers who are exposed to numerous harmful substances and biological agents that can cause infections

If you have received a diagnosis of a lung disease or any other illness that is occupational in nature, you must report it immediately to your employer. Workers’ compensation is a state-run program that offers a temporary disability benefit for workers who are suffering from occupational diseases and who have been hurt in a workplace accident. The program covers medical expenses related to the workplace injury or disease, and it provides a death benefit to surviving family members who have lost a cherished family member in a workplace accident or from an occupational disease.

At Silverman, McDonald & Friedman, we represent our clients’ interests and make sure that they get the compensation that they deserve when they sustained a workplace injury or contracted an occupational illness. You are invited to call 302-888-2900 or fill out our contact form to make an appointment for a case evaluation with an experienced workers’ compensation lawyer in Wilmington, Newark or Seaford today. We are here to help.