The Unite member continues to suffer from skin irritation
A 56-year-old man from Telford has received £8,500 in damages after he was exposed to acid at work, which caused him to develop dermatitis.
The Unite the Union member, employed by Dairy Crest Foods as an engineer, was asked to prepare pipework within a water tank. The tank was supposed to be filled with water but unbeknown to him it had been cleaned with an acid known as HORILYF V, which had not been drained.
The engineer lifted the lid of the tank and was instantly hit by acid fumes, causing him to feel nauseous and suffer burning pain in his left hand and face. He immediately rushed to a sink to wash himself before reporting the incident.
He suffered from blistering to the skin on his left hand and irritation to his eyes. When the symptoms did not improve, he went to hospital where he was diagnosed with dermatitis.
The Unite member was prescribed with E45 cream and eye drops, but continues to suffer from skin irritation almost four years after the accident happened.
He contacted Unite Legal Services who instructed industrial disease specialists, Thompsons Solicitors, to investigate a compensation claim.
He said: “Working with chemicals wasn’t usually something that I had to do, and I wasn’t given overalls or gloves that were suitable for dealing with acidic substances. There were no markings on the tank to suggest it was filled with acid so I opened it without any idea that anything was wrong. I was immediately taken aback by the strong smell of the fumes inside.
“Even four years later, I feel like I’m constantly fighting my condition. If I don’t apply cream and eye drops the irritation flares up.”
Mick Tuff, regional officer at Unite the Union, said: “The importance of keeping all employees adequately trained in line with Control of Substances Hazardous to Health (COSHH) regulations is crucial to avoid accidents like this from happening.
“Unfortunately for our member, a mistake made by a colleague in not draining the chemical from the tank has caused long-term problems to his health, which could have been avoided if the correct processes had been followed.
“Through his membership of Unite, we made sure that he received 100% of the compensation secured for him.”
Diagnosed with an industrial disease? Receive legal advice and more with Thompsons.
If you’ve been diagnosed with a work-related disease or illness in the last three years, our industrial disease compensation specialists are on hand to support you.
Whether your working conditions are the cause of the illness or are a contributing factor, our industrial disease experts can help you to build a case for compensation that takes into account your present and future needs.
In addition to getting the best possible legal advice, we’ll also make sure you are put in contact with medical and rehabilitation experts who can aid your recovery.
If you’d like more detailed information about how to start a claim, visit our How to Make a Compensation Claim page.