What Types of Workplaces are Most Likely to Expose you to Dangerous
Chemicals on the Job?
In the world of Batman’s Gotham City, who can forget that The Joker’s original back story involved falling into a vat of chemicals at the Ace Chemical Processing Plant? Throughout the world of comic book heroes, there are many examples of villains who turned to a life of crime after an accident involving chemicals – Mudface, Karlo Clayface, the Black and White Bandit, Doctor Death, and the list goes on. Gotham City must be a perilous place to work! In the real world, most exposure to dangerous chemicals happens over time, not at the hands of a mad scientist or through a fall into a vat of mysterious chemicals.When you don’t live in Gotham City, what workplaces are most likely to expose you to dangerous chemicals? In truth, exposure to hazardous chemicals can happen in almost any workplace. Lead, toxic mold, asbestos, and other chemicals can end up in the water we drink and the air we breathe practically anywhere. But some workplaces pose more danger than others, including industrial and manufacturing, agriculture, mining, oil and gas, construction, healthcare, warehousing, transportation, welding, and lumber.According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the most common chemicals that cause chemical exposure injuries at work are:
- Carbon Monoxide:
- Carbon monoxide is an odorless, difficult to detect gas formed when you burn fossil fuels. It can be particularly dangerous in enclosed spaces and can cause dizziness and nausea and eventually lead to losing consciousness and death.
- Ammonia:
- Ammonia is a colorless gas with a distinct odor; exposure can lead to skin irritation and burns, as well as damage to the eyes and respiratory system. Higher levels of exposure can lead to death. Those working in the agriculture and food manufacturing industries are most vulnerable to ammonia exposure.
- Chlorine:
- Many industries use chlorine, including paper and printing and water parks and pools. Because the chemical is heavier than air, it tends to lurk towards the ground in areas that aren’t well ventilated. Exposure can cause coughing, breathing problems, vomiting, throat irritation, and death.
- Hydrochloric Acid:
- Hydrochloric acid is highly corrosive and is used widely in manufacturing dye, rubber, fertilizer, and many other commercial products. Exposure can cause damage to the eyes, respiratory system, skin, and intestines, including severe chemical burns.
- Sulfuric Acid:
- Sulfuric acid, also known as battery acid, is also corrosive. It’s an ingredient in fertilizer and commonly used in refining petroleum. When it comes into contact with the skin or eyes, it can cause severe chemical burns and blindness.
While the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) does maintain strict rules about safety and hazardous levels of chemical exposure, employers may negligently or willfully fail to follow them. Over time, exposure to some of these chemicals can be harmful or even fatal. Few of us will ever find ourselves on the precipice of a vat of chemicals in the real world, let alone Gotham City. But it’s good to know that chemical exposure is a workplace risk for all of us, not just the heroes and villains of comic book legend.
