When most people think about workplace injuries, they may imagine some large industrial machine malfunctioning, causing catastrophic injuries to several workers. However, one of the most commonly overlooked types of workplace injuries is toxic exposure. Depending on the nature of a worker’s job and the duties he or she performs on a regular basis, the work environment itself may pose significant long-term risks.
Toxic exposure can arise over time from the presence of toxic materials in the workplace, or may occur in a single incident. In general, any workplace that contains toxic materials is required by law to post information sheets known as “Material Safety Data Sheets” (MSDS). If you are unclear about the presence of toxic materials in your workplace, ask to review any of your employer’s MSDS’s.
If your workplace does contain toxic chemicals, then your employer should take certain steps to ensure that workers are not placed at unnecessary risk. In the event that you experience toxic exposure and believe that your workplace was the site of the exposure, you should consider speaking with a personal injury attorney. You attorney can help you identify any grounds for legal action, and can also help you make sure that any workers’ compensation claims you file with the employer truly address all of the effects of the exposure.
Toxic exposure is not something to take lightly. It can lead to long-term illness that takes over your life, especially if it goes undiagnosed and untreated for a significant amount of time. If you have any reason to believe that your workplace may cause toxic exposure, you must address the issue as soon as possible, both for yourself and the safety of others in the workplace.
Source: FindLaw, “Toxic Exposure in the Workplace,” accessed Dec. 01, 2017
