Dealing with chemicals, whether it’s in a professional setting or while tackling a pile of dirty dishes at home, can be risky business. These substances do the heavy lifting in everything from cleaning floors to powering massive industrial processes. But as helpful as they are, they come with their fair share of risks, particularly when it comes to the eyes. Chemical eye burns are a real threat, and they’re not the kind of thing you can just brush off with a quick rinse.
You might not think twice about it as you spray your bathroom cleaner or work with pool chemicals, but if an accident happens and those chemicals make contact with your eyes, the stakes are incredibly high. Your eyes are delicate – way more sensitive than your skin – and can’t handle the harsh substances in many common chemicals.
All chemicals are dangerous
It’s easy to forget that the everyday products under the sink or in the garage can be harmful. But these products have the potential to cause serious damage if they get into your eyes. This involves a spectrum of chemicals, from the stuff that makes your toilet sparkle to what keeps your swimming pool blue.
When these chemicals enter your eyes, they don’t sit there like a drop of water. They start reacting immediately. Acids can begin to burn through the surface of your eye, while bases may go even deeper, causing damage that’s hard to heal.
When accidents happen
If you get splashed in the eye, remain calm. Rinse your eye out with water as quickly as possible. You don’t need a fancy eyewash station – just get to the nearest sink or even a water bottle and start flushing your eye out. After that head to a doctor, even if your eye starts feeling better. Some chemical burns can worsen before they improve. You don’t want to play games with your sight.
It’s sometimes possible to seek compensation for damage to your eyes that’s caused by chemicals. This might involve a lawsuit against the company if appropriate information wasn’t provided about the safety risks and measures related to the product. If the burn happens at work, worker’s compensation might come into the picture. Therefore, seeking legal guidance to explore your options may be wise.